Robert Altman 1981-1990 Arthouse Comedy USA

Robert Altman – Beyond Therapy (1987)

adminSeptember 5, 2021

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A few unusual characters and their unconventional therapists cross paths resulting in hilarious interactions.

Letterboxd review
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★★★½ Watched by The Spork Guy 30 May 2014

Robert Altman’s quirky and whimsical restaurant romance based on a play of the same name. Each character is a more like a representation of a mental deficiency or personality type rather than the literal person they happen to be playing. The main conflict is a few expected love triangles involving strict, close-minded parents and psychiatrists trying to persuade their patients away from a destructive relationship, but Altman once again finds a way to make this a worth while experience regardless of the otherwise simple plot. Altman’s signature style creates an alternate version of planet Earth in which people think out loud without regard for anyone else’s emotional response and make very little sense while doing so.

Although strange, the performances from the whole cast are great, surprisingly even from Jeff Goldblum, and the film interestingly utilizes multiple covers of the song “Some To Watch Over Me” throughout the whole picture in order to illustrate one of the film’s major plot points. This is a film that makes love look like a mental ailment more so than a bodily reaction. Everyone speaks to each other without a second thought by spilling all of their dark and awkward secrets, fetishes, and imperfections as if everyone is anyone’s personal therapist for the day, even a date. This is a very unique approach to the regular rom-com and Altman had delivered something I will definitely be watching again.

Oh, and just so you know, this is the movie where Quentin Tarantino stole Tim Roth’s “Garcon, COFFEE!!!” line from Pulp Fiction. Even going as far as siting in both films that it means boy, and is rude to exclaim out loud. The more pointless stuff you know, right?

– The Spork Guy