Capital Celluloid 2021 — Day 55: Sat Jul 10

Dr T & The Women (Altman, 2000): BFI Southbank, NFT2, 3pm


This 35mm presemtation is also being screend on July 26th. Details here.

Time Out review:
Sullivan Travis (Richard Gere) is Dallas's most successful gynaecologist. Maybe it's his medical skill, maybe it's because he listens well, maybe it's because he not only loves women, but regards each individual as so special as to be worthy of worship. But if that's so, why is his wife Kate (Farrah Fawcett) cracking up? Is it due merely to the imminent wedding of their youngest, Dee Dee (Hudson), or to the visit of her sister Peggy (Laura Dern)? And how will Dr T cope with all this? No wonder he spends more and more time on the fairway, often in the company of the new assistant pro - yet another female, Bree (Helen Hunt). Though Altman's film, another large ensemble piece, has been knocked as shrill and misogynistic, it's considerably more complex than that. It's certainly not woman-hating: unlike the good doctor, whose adulation of all females is deluded, perhaps even deleterious, Altman and writer 
Anne Rapp prefer their women warts and all. It's the absurd (man's?) world they live in that's at fault. If the babble in some group scenes gets a bit much, it's countered by moments of genuine tenderness, neat observation and astute insights into love.

Here (and above) is the trailer.

No comments:

Post a Comment