There's something distinctive about Altman - the slow zooms, overlapping dialogue, use of music, ensemble cast - that's unique and has been since MASH.
It's probably useful to group the cast together like the film does, despite the story overlaps.
So we have:
Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon and Zane Cassidy, crossing swords with revengeful baker Lyle Lovett.. (Has one of the best moments where MacDowell loses it, then he starts offering them cakes).
Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine. Anne Archer and Fred Ward as the quartet who have such a successful dinner party they're still hanging around the next day.
Then we have the rather good and understated Jennifer Jason Leigh who's with Chris Penn, plus Lili Taylor and Robert Downey Jr. in the most shocking story development.
Madeleine Stowe puts up with asshole cop Tim Robbins, having affair with Frances McDormand, which ex Peter Gallagher dislikes. 'Susie' is the male, motorbike travelling dog.
And don't forget the flaky relationship of Lily Tomlin and Tom Waits.
Finally singer Annie Ross and daughter (and actual cellist) Lori Singer.
Shot by Walt Lloyd in Panavision. Dylan Tichenor is an assistant editor and seeing he later cut Magnolia there's a definite link in the material and the way it's presented. (Also The Town, There Will be Blood, Zero Dark Thirty, Doubt, The Asassination of Jess James by the Coward Robert Ford, Brokeback Mountain, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unbreakable, Boogie Nights).
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