Dr. T & the Women

It seems, at least according to the current rating on FilmBooster, that the film is a big disaster and Altman has fallen into a hopeless creative crisis in his old age. This is confirmed by many disapproving comments. My impression is somewhat different, as I saw a decent 3-star movie. Altman's golden era of filmmaking falls in the 70s. Later on, he maintained his creative method of mosaic of human destinies and motifs with many supporting characters, but as he got older, his once lukewarm pace slowed down even more, while the film world around him significantly accelerated. In today's culture of quick clips, his films seem like a pure anachronism. Furthermore, Altman resembles a soccer player who, to the displeasure of the audience, slowly circles around the field, caresses the ball, and trains technique, forgetting that soccer is played for goals, and he doesn't even shoot on goal the whole match. But because he is in no hurry, it is enough to notice the changes in society that surpass the inertia of thinking. So while the media is still fighting for women's rights, society has become significantly feminized and it is usually well-placed ladies from higher social classes who wave the flag of women's rights the most. Successful gynecologist Dr. T. is surrounded by women, and even though he is a born diplomat gifted with above-average empathy and could be a renowned model of a loving husband, the female world overwhelms him more and more and eventually forces him into a humiliating escape. Altman is a good observer and individual scenes are characterized by subtle irony. Richard Gere in the main role has never been and will never be Dustin Hoffman, but he fits perfectly in the role of a polished gentleman. Overall impression: 65%. (12/02/2013)