Really just an epic snore fest to be honest. The only strengths are the cinematography and Beatty's performance - he does as best a job would seemingly be possible bringing some stimulating elements to this character in an otherwise thoroughly dull script, filled to the brim with impressively uninteresting characters and lackluster sequences.
Leonard Cohen's music is more entertaining than the majority of the movie. It is rare for me to feel this way, especially since folk rock is absolutely not my thing, and Cohen has never meant anything to me, but I think the music would fare better on it's own rather than to these images. Even Julie Christie is just kind of one-dimensional and mostly underutilized here. The ending was the only mildly amusing segment but it was not worth the long slow trudge in any regard - it didn't even feel like there was any building tension whatsoever. It's also funny how Altman's audio/dialogue techniques are regarded and celebrated so frequently because the audio may very well by the biggest downfall of this film, just as it was with California Split - Altman's biggest dud. The overlapping dialogue and the tinny, scrappy, hardly distinguishable audio makes for a grating experience.
I have now seen a solid 8 or so Altman movies but it is clear to me just how hit-or-miss the guy is for me. When he hits, he really hits, and when he misses, he REALLY misses. This is probably my 2nd least favorite Altman movie, with only California Split surpassing it.
3 Women > The Long Goodbye > Images > The Player > Short Cuts > Gosford Park > Nashville > McCabe & Mrs. Miller > California Split
Leonard Cohen's music is more entertaining than the majority of the movie. It is rare for me to feel this way, especially since folk rock is absolutely not my thing, and Cohen has never meant anything to me, but I think the music would fare better on it's own rather than to these images. Even Julie Christie is just kind of one-dimensional and mostly underutilized here. The ending was the only mildly amusing segment but it was not worth the long slow trudge in any regard - it didn't even feel like there was any building tension whatsoever. It's also funny how Altman's audio/dialogue techniques are regarded and celebrated so frequently because the audio may very well by the biggest downfall of this film, just as it was with California Split - Altman's biggest dud. The overlapping dialogue and the tinny, scrappy, hardly distinguishable audio makes for a grating experience.
I have now seen a solid 8 or so Altman movies but it is clear to me just how hit-or-miss the guy is for me. When he hits, he really hits, and when he misses, he REALLY misses. This is probably my 2nd least favorite Altman movie, with only California Split surpassing it.
3 Women > The Long Goodbye > Images > The Player > Short Cuts > Gosford Park > Nashville > McCabe & Mrs. Miller > California Split