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Movies / On DVD / Short Cuts
Short Cuts

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Short Cuts (1993)

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94 %
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Reviews Counted:50

Fresh:47

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.8/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 9 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Using the short stories of Raymond Carver as a jumping-off point, American maverick director Robert Altman weaves a tapestry of interlocking tales set against the seedy backdrop of contemporary... Using the short stories of Raymond Carver as a jumping-off point, American maverick director Robert Altman weaves a tapestry of interlocking tales set against the seedy backdrop of contemporary middle-class Los Angeles. Tracking the various stages of denial, rage, and despair in the lives of several couples--a philandering cop and his masochistic spouse (Tim Robbins and Madeline Stowe); a helicopter pilot who gets revenge on his ex by trashing her house (Peter Gallagher and Frances McDormand); a man and woman whose perfect life falls apart when they lose their son in a hit-and-run accident (Bruce Davison and Andie MacDowell); a pool cleaner who listens in mounting frustration to his wife performing phone sex each day while tending her brood of children (Chris Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh); a wealthy couple who are haunted by an incident from the past (Matthew Modine and Julianne Moore); an aging jazz singer and her suicidal daughter (Annie Ross and Lori Singer); an alcoholic limo driver and his waitress wife (Tom Waits and Lily Tomlin)--Altman reveals their common threads of family dysfunction and marital discord in the unforgiving glare of the Southern California sunlight. The result is a sweeping motion picture that also stands as an important sociological artifact of late 20th century Los Angeles life. [More]

Starring: Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Anne Archer, Matthew Modine

Starring: Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Anne Archer, Matthew Modine, Madeleine Stowe, Buck Henry, Lily Tomlin, Lori Singer, Jack Lemmon, Lyle Lovett, Huey Lewis, Robert Downey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Jarrett Lennon, Annie Ross, Margery Bond, Robert DoQui, Darnell Williams, Michael Beach, Charles Rocket, Dirk Blocker, Natalie Strong

Director: Robert Altman

Director: Robert Altman
Screenwriter: Robert Altman
Story: Raymond Carver
Composer: Gavin Friday, Mark Isham
Producer: Cary Brokaw

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Short Cuts

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Performances are low key but accomplished, comedy and tragedy are delicately balanced and the whole thing has the feel of a sprawling but very absorbing soap.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/27/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Cool, clever and complex, Altman succeeds in bringing out the best from a highly talented cast.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/27/08
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

From the exhilarating opening, you know Altman's epic 'adaptation' of eight stories and a poem by Raymond Carver is going to be special.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
10/15/03
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

As the grand ringmaster, it's here that Altman passes the baton to his actors , whose behavioral insights are critical to the film's success.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
02/27/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film is fascinating and complex, and benefits from a densely textured soundtrack that makes it as interesting to listen to as to watch.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/27/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Inevitably it's a mixed bag, though the film's assurance in keeping it all coherent is at times exhilarating.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
02/27/08
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Not prime Altman, but weaves an interesting path due to many sub-plots.

comment Comment
02/22/08
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

No review available.

comment Comment
10/19/06
Boyd van Hoeij
Boyd van Hoeij
european-films.net

Altman weaves magic from Carver's character-rich material.

comment Comment
10/10/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

An absolutely brilliant, 3-hour examination of detached, dysfunctional behavior in modern America. Easily one of Altman's best films.

comment Comment
10/08/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/05
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
06/25/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
04/13/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

No review available.

comment Comment
02/18/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Robert Altman revisited Nashville territory, and surpassed it, with this 1993 masterpiece.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
02/14/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The interwoven stories articulate a virus of self-absorbtion that’s overtaken family-lives, romances and friendships.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
12/08/04
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Rarely has a slice-of-life film been so delicious to consume.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
11/24/04
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

No review available.

comment Comment
09/16/04
Austin O'Connor
Austin O'Connor
Lowell Sun

No review available.

comment Comment
03/12/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Short Cuts

October 01, 2008: EW Looks Back on 30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes Opens in new window
The MPAA doesn't like it, but America has never been able to get enough of naked people on the big screen -- and Entertainment Weekly has honored our fondness for flesh with a... More...

November 21, 2006: Auteur Robert Altman Passes Away at 81
Robert Altman, the esteemed and venerable director of "M*A*S*H," "Nashville," and "The Player," died Monday from complications due to cancer. He... More...

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