Robert Altman's films in the 80s fluctuated between the dull (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) and the disappointing (Fool for Love). Altman found a new audience with The Player, widely hailed as his comeback.
The film kicks off with a fluid opening shot that pays homage to Orson Welles' Touch of Evil. Studio executive Griffin Dunne has been receiving anonymous threatening postcards. He confronts and accidently kills the screenwriter he suspects of being the sender, then taking up with the dead man's girlfriend (Greta Scacchi).
The film contains some memorable scenes, and Richard E Grant gives a hilarious performance as an idealistic screenwriter eager to sell out if the price is right.
Many celebrities make cameos in this satire, including Cher, Nick Nolte, Anjelica Huston and Susan Sarandon. But if Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis are also in on the joke, who is the joke aimed at? TIM ADLER
Prod co: Avenue
Prod: David Brown, Michael Tolkin, Nick Wechsler
Dir: Robert Altman
Scr: Michael Tolkin
Ph: Jean Lepine
Ed: Geraldine Peroni
Mus: Thomas Newman
Prod des: Stephen Altman
Cast: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg
Running time: 123 mins
