don’t think any ‘r who has ever
Dr T is set amidst
the ‘Texas ocene -‘ where women don’t work’
Altman found the-casting of Richard Gere ‘lrreslstlble’
Helen Hunt gets intimate with Gere
wide open and in comes this guy. and it‘s Richard (lcrel I thought this was irresistible.‘
Alas Altman’s thoughts on the future of cinema as a medium are less entlitisiastic. Drawing a parallel with the recent (contested) election of (ieorge W. Btish as his country‘s president. which he denounces as ‘disgusting'. the director tcels that. ‘liilms in America are just about linished as we know them: it's one world now. and there‘s this whole homogenisation ol everything. livery lilm I made in the 70s had a political target: .\"us‘/n'i/le was specilically about politics. as was Mica/iv And Mrs .l/Ii/lw‘ and The [1mg Gum/bye. Now we‘re in a river and the river’s moving. and we don‘t know in which direction. livery film I make I‘m not sure it' it‘s going to be the last one. because I don‘t now it' I‘m going to be allowed to do another.‘
Yet always swil‘t to conl‘ound expectations. Altman has already completed another feature (ins/Uni Park. a 30s period drama about the linglish class system which he tilmed in the L'K. You can forget. temporarily. his pessimism about cinema. and instead revel in the enthusiasm of this indefatigable septuagenarian. as he talks about the best experience he‘s ever had. ‘l've had the time of my lite. I‘m a big tan ol' linglish actors. becatise of their theatre training and the philosophy they approach their work with. I couldn't have made (ins/on! Park in America. I had to have hall ot’ that cast quickly recognisable by the audience otherwise viewers would have given tip. When you‘re looking at a room with twenty people sitting there. and everyone of them is a recognisable lace. that‘s quite exciting.‘
Dr TAnd The Women, selected release from Fri 6 Jul. J.' -'1 THE LIST 21