Review of Short Cuts (1993) by Ryan W — 01 Feb 2009

It's no "Nashville" but it is again another great exploration of the human condition expertly orchestrated by Robert Altman. There's a certain cheap and exploitative quality to the picture and the last shot is less then satisfying, but the Carver characters and the actors who portray them are consistently excellent.

There's a lot of great things in this film actually. But it honestly needed the powerhouse conclusion of "Nashville", or "Short Cuts" predecessor "Magnolia" to seal the deal, and the earthquake was only able to provide a chilling end to the Chris Penn storyline.

Its an absorbing three hour experience. It just doesn't conclude as cohesively as it flows through its majority.