'Quintet' is better


The only real good thing that I think came out of this movie is that Altman and Newman went on to make Quintet (1979) together, a film that *is* a masterpiece and a visual delight. It doesn't have the Altmanian overlapping dialogue that this movie has, but it does have Altman's vouyeristic camera, which follows around Newman's Essex as he engages a game of survival and death.

On the contrary, I found this movie an immense bore. Maybe some of you guys can help me out here? I love Altman, and believe me: I *get* what he's saying about Buffalo Bill being a fraud, the Big Brother of his time, etc. But this movie simply doesn't work as an entertainment. There's no strong narrative to speak of -- and all of this by a director who still managed to make entertaining movies out of similarily obscure films like Images and 3 Women.

Really, really disappointed with this one, though.

"What I don't understand is how we're going to stay alive this winter."

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I feel that way about THIEVES LIKE US. It just drags on endlessly. I actually hate QUINTET too.

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