Review of Short Cuts (1993) by Matthew M — 24 Apr 2009

"Short Cuts" is arguably the most ambitious film of the 90's, as Robert Altman follows the lives of numerous Californians as they just try to make it from day to day. Filled with an all star cast, "Short Cuts" is the precursor to Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia.

" Where "Magnolia" is about the family unit (more specifically father issues), "Short Cuts" is about the sexual perversity and distance that can swell underneath a relationship between a man and woman, or that bubbles in the confines of ones home.

Per usual, Altman is a man who knows how to work the camera and with this, he creates some naturally beautiful compositions. And as usual, Altman is able to capture great performances from everyone that graces the screen.

From Julianne Moore's desensitized portrayal of a sexually explicit artist to Chris Penn's brooding portrayal of a husband who is growing sexually distant from his wife, everyone brings their best.

If not for the acting, "Short Cuts" and Altman's ambition may have over extended its reach. After all, with a running time of over three hours and many stories developing slowly, the acting at times is crucial in keeping the audience's attention.

Now, there are some dead and tired parts in this film mainly because of Altman's effort to make these particular stories feel like real life and essentially dialogue based. But, this is not to say this film is small and has no action.

Instead its loaded with a lot of small moments that allow for the big moments to resonate as they come along. This further supplements Altman's overall plan for "Short Cuts", which is for it to resemble life as much as possible.

From the serendipitus moments to those awkward talks with the people we love, Altman strives to replicate only a few days that we may experience. In the end, I'm sure many viewers will have wanted all of the dots connected for them and resolutions to be dispensed, but just like in life, sometimes we aren't afforded such endings.

We don't get short cuts from our problems or life in general, and Altman adheres to this. He doesn't give us any either.