Review of Short Cuts (1993) by Nathan F — 21 May 2010

Everyone leads different lives some are interesting, some are boring, and some are tragedies, but all, when analyzed, give a clear and vivid picture of the human condition. People's daily stories always intersect in ways, which cannot be seen or understood, but if we could look at these stories what would we see? This is what Robert Altman's film Short Cuts wrestles and struggles with. If we could watch human's lives what would we feel? Sadness? Loneliness? Joy?

Based off of Raymond Carver's short stories. Short Cuts tells the tale of 22 different Los Angeles resident's lives. Using an intertwining plot structure throughout the film these people go to clubs, clean pools, paint, raise children, cheat, drink, and sometimes run into each other. Literally, when Doreen, a waitress, runs into little Casey with her car, she forever changes his and his parent's lives forever. These different stories are sad, funny, and even devastating, but they truly depict the disparity of human life while pointing out the common threads that every one shares.

The problems of humanity are displayed with udder honesty. Altman doesn't give us an answer here, but simply presents us with the "short cuts" and lets us question them ourselves. We wonder why a mother would rather drink down her sorrows than show appreciation for her daughter? Why would a woman continually bring her young child into to her relationship problems? And why do spouses feel the constant need to hide things from their partners?

One particular story in Short Cuts finds the parents of their very recently passed away son confronting a baker who had gotten angry when they had not picked up the cake they had ordered. The cake was ordered for their son's birthday party, which he never got the chance to celebrate. Upon hearing the news the baker's anger quickly turns to encouragement. "Eating's a good thing at a time like this," the baker says as he brings them freshly baked muffins comforting them with the best thing he can offer, food.

Many of the other stories in Short Cuts also lead us up to a remedying ending like with the baker, but many of them fail to adequately finish. Short cuts gives us the build up for what we think will be a satisfying ending, but some of the stories leave you asking for a little bit more closure. For times sake some of stories' endings seemed to have been finished too quickly, and it is for this where Short Cuts slightly misses the mark.

It is easy for a film where plots happen at the same time to become overwhelming and confusing, but Short Cuts never comes across that way. The diverse plots easily start back up from where they left off continuing the story. We see the tragedies life can bring along with the joys, and Altman guides us expertly through the mess safely bringing us to the end, even if it seems slightly unfinished.