Pinky, a socially awkward teenage girl, has just moved from Texas to a small California desert town. She finds work at a spa for the elderly, where she meets Millie, a very nice but lonely woman who tries desperately to make friends with her constant up-beat attitude. The two become friends, even moving in together, but Pinky grows overly attached to Millie, adopting aspects of her personality. The two begin to clash when Pinky discovers Millie with Edgar, a macho cowboy type who happens to be married to Willie, a local artist, leading to a subversive turn in the narrative. Robert Altman's 3 Women is an enigmatic experience that puts more focus on imagery and atmosphere than typical narrative conventions. Altman's typical voyeuristic camera is a nice fit for the material, a constant observer in this ellipitcal experience that only aids the off-kilter, ominous tone. 3 Women is a film that could be almost described as a fever dream, with Altman creating a complete role reversal of its two characters after Pinky suffers an "accident". Altman's 3 Women has obvious comparisons to Bergman's Persona, with each film taking a look but I wouldn't say it's fully realized. There is also an interesting subtext in 3 Women centered around gender roles, but like most things in 3 Women it's a little hard to pin down exactly what Altman's intentions were. The performances all around are fantastic with Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall each giving great performances in their respective roles. Robert Altman's 3 Women features a second half that is even more enigmatic and hypnotic, making for an interesting if not perfect examination of identity.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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