McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)

This has nothing going for it. And the sound is awful. Especially early on, the dialogue is very unclear, but it was probably meaningless anyway. Then the Cockney accent of Julie Christie as she come onto the scene is quite jarring. Nothing much of the movie's story makes sense nor is it particularly interesting. A waste of 2 hours.

Good early Altman, great cast, highlighted by Cohen soundtrack

i remembered loving this one when it was first released, but now it felt so dated. not one of those classic movies which its you in the guts every time. reminded me that julie christie was sooo beautiful.

If you stick with this you are rewarded but its a challenge, sound and light are dreadful.

A roving gambler, McCabe, rides into a small mining town in the early days of construction. He wins enough money at cards to buy three women for the whorehouse he wants to start. It's a pretty basic outfit so when Mrs Miller, a brothel madam, turns up and describes the many traps he is likely to fall into, he's happy to do a deal and they become partners. She brings in some classy women from the city and, with the town's residents mostly men, the business thrives. After a while two men from a mining company, anxious to get a foothold in the town, make a good offer for the business which McCabe turns down. They are not very pleased and when three supposed bear-hunters ride up armed with shotguns, he knows they're going to make trouble. Warren Beatty plays to a T the rather simple-minded gambler and likeable rogue. Julie Christie, in one of her finest roles, is the practical whorehouse madam resigned to a wretched life far from the city. Much of the movie is shot in winter with the townsfolk struggling to go about their everyday life in the rain and snow, emphasizing the harsh conditions of a frontier town in the ranges. A movie too good to be considered just a western.

Format was much too old. Even Warren Beatty & Julie Christie could not rescue it.

Near masterpiece debut where Altman developed a lot of his trademark style. Beautifully shot by Zsigmond with great performances and raunch and realism and everything.

This movie had all the makings of being a great one. The setting was ideal. The wardrobe was authentic. However, it took so long for the plot to evolve you could be excused for thinking the movie was about the everyday lives of the people in the mining town and nothing untoward was going to happen. Long drawn out boring waste of space.

This roughly tender trip of a 'western' is as always, a Robert Altman wonder. Beautifully shot, sensational sound track from Leonard Cohen - the Sisters of Mercy most poignantly reflecting the inner nature of the goddamn chippies and whores. A wonderful film.

Fantastic.

If you are a fan of enduring maverick film director ROBERT ALTMAN (MASH,THE PLAYER,GOSFORD PARK) then you must rent this one on DVD! It's a murky Western with a difference and features complex characters and a great score by LEONARD COHEN.

This is still a brilliant movie, 30 years on. It's also the first time I've actually re-played a full movie with the commentary as well. It is satisfying on every level and aspect: cinematography, the acting and atmosphere, the quirky dimension, the music --- ie a great movie.