Review of Short Cuts (1993) by Scott K — 02 Jul 2007

Very entertaining and engaging "mural" of Los Angeles inhabitants, and a general study of the contemporary American lifestyle. I was not bored for the entire 3+ hour running time, however for being that long, it seemed awfully lightweight.

Not too much had happened, and when the "big moments" did happen they felt forced. This was mostly the stories that were written specifically for the film, and not from Carver's source material.

Also, it seemed like there was a lot of gratuitous nudity. However, it's flaws are overshadowed by what Altman has achieved here, adapting the short stories and creating a structure that was a first of it's kind.

It helped inspire the superior Magnolia, and the vastly inferior Crash, as well as all of Inaritu's films. The whole film is incredibly realized, from the cinematography to the great performances (I'd list them out, but it'd take too long).

Overall, very worth your while, with a great set from Criterion.