Altman
It is arranged chronologically. This documentary traces the life and career of Robert Altman as a filmmaker. The majority of the footage is archival, which includes interviews with Altman and home movies of Kathryn Reed. This includes his rough start as an aspirant screenwriter in Hollywood, and how he ended up working as an industrial filmmaker instead. He was able to direct a variety of TV series in Hollywood. This led him to clash with producers and studio executives who didn’t appreciate his filmmaking style. It included hanging storylines and overlapped dialogue that forces viewers to choose which conversations they want to concentrate on. He often tried to get what he wanted by not telling the truth or keeping under the radar of producers and studio executives. Altman’s fame in Hollywood took a huge leap forward with M*A*S*H (1970), which was rejected by all other directors. It went on to be a smash hit and critical acclaim, winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival that year. He tried to create a family atmosphere among his cast and crew throughout his entire filmmaking career, which saw many highs and lows. The personal story of his marriage to Kathryn includes the details of his fatherhood, which included the birth of a few children, as well as stepchildren, and some medical issues. He did not reveal the results of his heart transplant until 10 years later. The archive footage has a variety of stars – actor who worked in his films, and his contemporaries who were influenced by his works – that give their interpretation of “Altmanesque”. –Huggo
Genre: Documentary
Director: Ron Mann
Actors: Elliott Gould, James Caan, Kathryn Reed Altman, Matthew Reed Altman, Michael Murphy, Robert Altman, Sally Kellerman
Country: Canada
