Review of Short Cuts (1993) by Orlando T — 16 Mar 2008

The back of the Netflix envelope I received "Short Cuts" in describes it as a "mosaic masterpiece." And indeed it is. "Short Cuts" is a plotless film with an ensemble cast; many different stories woven into one. The legendary underdog Robert Altman, who directed and co-wrote here, based this off of Raymond Carver's short stories, but really turned it into his own unique peek into the lives of these southern Californians. We see a doctor, a painter, a motorcycle cop, a baker, a news broadcaster, a lounge singer and her celloist daughter, a diner waitress, a makeup artist, a pool cleaner, a phone sex operator, and other interesting characters' stories, and how they interconnect in different ways. One of the most remarkable aspects of "Short Cuts" is how its so much like real life with all its randomness and interruptions, about as close as any movie can come. Altman includes such early '90s pop-culture aspects as the cartoon "Captain Planet," and a child's love of this show. The blaring television in the background serves as but one reoccurring theme, just a tool that helps make this a genuine story of American life.

I was reminded of certain other films while watching this, such as Richard Linklater's plotless low-budget cult hit "Slacker" from 1991, a movie about eccentric characters in Austin, TX and their criss-crossing lives, shifting from one little story to the next. I also see how highly influential this must have been towards P.T. Anderson's "Magnolia," also a mosaic of everyday life in Southern California.

It's rare that a film comes along like this, chock full of unexpectedness just like us, just like real people. I urge most anyone to see this movie, an essential flick from the early '90s.