Streamers

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Alan W @PatronWong 06/24/2021 Even though they share a lot in common, most people won't have heard of this Robert Altman curiosity he made around the same time as Come Back to the 5 & Dime..... Shot theatrically in one set with a small same-sex cast, both stage adaptations involve a controversial/taboo subject matter in which characters confront uncomfortable truths about themselves after an external force crashes in disrupting their uneasy status quo. Set in an army barrack in 1965 where 4 young soldiers are awaiting assignments to Vietnam, this is a tense atmospheric piece where the threat of violence hangs ominously over their heads. The most striking thing about David Rabe's screenplay is his honest take on the issue of homosexuality, especially in the context of the uber-masculine setting of the military, and how refreshing and brave it is, for its time, to allow Mitchell Lichtenstein to sympathetically portray Richie as a practically out gay protagonist. The absorbing performances of the central quartet, featuring a young Matthew Modine, are further enhanced by Altman's frequent use of close-ups, though it means we have to put up with some choppy editing, but little visual flourishes peppered over the film will remind you of the auteur-director at work. Unashamedly theatrical, characters do have a tendency to slip into monologue mode and at almost 2h, some scenes can be tighter as an overabundance of ideas, ranging from racial politics, toxic masculinity, to the futile loss of human lives during war, fight for space with the main narrative which ratchets up sexual tensions and prejudices to a boiling point between the frustrated and trapped recruits. It may not be the war movie that either Altman or Modine is known for, but it's no less intriguing a film and worthy of rediscovery as part of the history of queer cinema. See more 11/26/2016 This was made for the theater, the transition to cinema doesn't work at all. See more 04/18/2014 One of Altman's lesser known works, 'Streamers' still boasts many of the director's strengths. Solid performances from a young cast, an escalating sense of tension between the men, and dashings of humour to lend believability, as well as relief. However the script's theatrical origins do still show, be it sometimes over-worded dialogue or the rather confined setting of a barrack. See more 04/07/2012 The string of films Robert Altman made during the 1980s ("Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean," "Secret Honor," "Fool for Love," "Beyond Therapy") were all adaptations of stage plays. Altman attempted to blur the line between stage and screen by sticking almost exactly to the staging, sets, dialogue and structure of the plays. Of course, he brought his filmic sensibilities to each picture, always emphasizing the aspects Altman deemed most important. While none of the films are particularly successful, it's still a worthy experiment. As for "Streamers," it's a difficult film. Unfortunately, it's not difficult because of the subject matter (the Vietnam War, homosexuality, racism) but because the actors over act, the film feels stagey and claustrophobic, and there just ins't anything to truly hold your attention. While it's one of Altman's more complex (failed) experiments it's also a very uncomfortable 2 hours (and not in the good way "3 Women" or "Images" is). See more 03/13/2012 It's pretty rare for me to dislike an Altman film, but Streamers is just a teeth-gritting chore to watch. See more 10/16/2011 à um Robert Altman fortalecido pela conjugação de elementos que conhece muito bem: a tensão acumulada em câmara (tal como em "Secret Honor); o registo teatral aberto ao improviso dos actores; e a análise das psicoses e ansiedades que abundam num clima paralelo à guerra como à (C) a caserna militar, neste caso. Tudo isto resulta depois em excelentes interpretações e alguns momentos de extrema intensidade, embora a duração de duas horas exija uma resistência que pode gastar-se aos poucos com diálogos longos e situações semelhantes entre si. Robert Altman à (C) um maestro dos dramas com crescimento gradual e uma participação equivalente de todos os personagens, e a prova disso está tambà (C)m neste filme, mas "Streamers" fica-se ali pelo meio da tabela de filmes do grande senhor. See more Read all reviews

Streamers

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