Altman

2014

1 hr. 36 min.

Documentary

List

70%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Filmmaker Ron Mann looks back on the life and work of American director Robert Altman.

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Audience Member

Informative window into a man I was not very familiar with.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/19

Full Review

Audience Member

Robert Altman is a fascinating director who received training in the early days of television before becoming a director/writer/producer of feature films. This documentary about his life includes many clips from his films and many interviewees who worked with him. He was especially known for films with large ensemble casts and natural sounding overlapping dialogue, so there are an incredible number of well known celebrity faces who contribute anecdotes about Altman on and off set. A straightforward biographical documentary that is well made.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Altman" es un sentido documental sobre el maestro Robert Altman, un director de espíritu salvaje y contestatario que para bien y para mal, siempre se puso a las reglas impuestas por Hollywood. Se abordan sus inicios en la televisión, y sus obras más importantes, pero se dejan de lado los trabajos menores que dejan una sensación de que faltó mucho por cubrir. De todas formas, cualquier amante del cine debería ver este retrato de un autor que se extraña cada vez más.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Altman" es un sentido documental sobre el maestro Robert Altman, un director de espíritu salvaje y contestatario que para bien y para mal, siempre se puso a las reglas impuestas por Hollywood. Se abordan sus inicios en la televisión, y sus obras más importantes, pero se dejan de lado los trabajos menores que dejan una sensación de que faltó mucho por cubrir. De todas formas, cualquier amante del cine debería ver este retrato de un autor que se extraña cada vez más.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

For me Robert Altman's career is summed up by one participating critic's view of the acclaimed director who calls him 'Imaginative, but inconsistent'. His best work (Nashville; Three Women) is truly great and can be watched again and again. However, it is truly disconcerting to be reminded in this otherwise very entertaining documentary of just how many of his films were duds (Quintet; Secret Honour), disappointing (Images; A Prairie Home Companion) or just plain over rated (Mash; McCabe and Mrs Miller). The fact that he was held in the highest esteem by those who worked for him is never in doubt and whilst talking heads are kept to a minimum, the likes of Julianne Moore, Elliot Gould and Lily Tomlin rhapsodise gushingly as to what they feel the term 'Altmanesque' represents. Needless to say their interpretations leave me fascinated if somewhat bewildered. Impressively the doc uses location footage for some of his films which is insightful and the inclusion of home footage also personalises the man. We learn about the origins of Lions gate films which he set up, his controversial use of over lapping sound, and we also get a peek at his TV work and the unreleased short films that he made before his big break came (inexplicably in my opinion) with MASH. He is undoubtedly a director with talent and the documentary is a fitting and welcome tribute to him. I just wish that I liked his films more.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I am a big fan of Altman do found this interesting but it is a rather standard documentary and I feel it could have gone deeper. Altman was a fascinating person with many great films, 90mins isn't enough to adequately tell his story. But for now, this film will do and it's worth watching for fans of the director.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Ron Mann

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson

Self

James Caan

Self

Keith Carradine

Self

Elliott Gould

Self

Philip Baker Hall

Self

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Claudia Puig

The Asahi Shimbun GLOBE (Japan)

Unfortunately, the straightforward film doesn't probe deeply enough to reveal the creative psyche of the remarkable filmmaker Robert Altman, whose films didn't look or sound like those of any other director. [Full review in Japanese]

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 19, 2016

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

This hagiographic romp through Robert Altman's inspiring/exasperating career never gets beneath the surface of its fascinating subject.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 5, 2015

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

This isn't an exhaustive or especially insightful documentary about Robert Altman (who died in 2006) but it successfully reminds us of what made him such a special director.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 2, 2015

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a refresher course for fans, plus a tantalising crib-sheet for those unfamiliar with the great man’s work...

Rated: 4/5

Nov 30, 2023

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

A beautiful and naturalistic portrait of a man, not just his work.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 1, 2021

Full Review

C.J. Prince

Way Too Indie

This kind of smart, neat structuring makes Altman one of the year's finest documentaries, a shining example of how to properly examine the life and career of such a prolific figure.

Rated: 7.8/10

Jun 13, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Ron Mann looks back on the life and work of American director Robert Altman.

Director: Ron Mann
Screenwriter: Len Blum
Production Co: Sphinx Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2016

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