Women and Fairies

3 Women (Robert Altman, 1977) - pro-
I can see how Altman detractors may see this as a perfect example of how the director time and again, because of his artistic integrity and because of his status as an auteur, gets away with anything – in this case, a movie conjured up in his dreams, very loosely held together and seemingly without much of a script; enigmatic, problematic, deliberately introvert. For all its everyday Californian environments, it’s definitely the most cryptic of the Altman films I’ve seen. And while not trying to make sense of it, there were several things that left me wishing for more – the balance of the three women, in particular (without giving too much away, the third woman of the group is so narratively uninvolved that sans the last act, the film could have been called 2 Women).

But there’s always something to hold your attention in an Altman film. The setting is mesmerizing; just like in California Split, Altman manages to shoot California in a distinct way that, for me, sets him apart from many other directors – the attention to car rides, the bar interiors, the apartment buildings, crowds. And if you’re a Shelley Duvall fan, you’re in for a treat. She carries the film with a bravura performance as the pathetic, cocky, obnoxious and oblivious Millie.

***

The Good Fairy (William Wyler, 1935) - pro
Sparkling dialogue by Preston Sturges and slick direction by Wyler make this romantic comedy a breeze to sit through, despite its unnecessarily messy plot, which follows a good-hearted orphan (Sullavan), who stumbles out in the world and encounters a long line of suitors and wannabe tutors, before falling in love. A few scenes are virtually all about talking, with very little physical action, but always with the wit one can expect from a Sturges script. It's not on par with the razor-sharp The Palm Beach Story or Sullivan's Travels, but still highly enjoyable.