The Player Reviews

I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I was really eager to check it out again. I have to admit that I still have to check most of Robert Altman’s older movies but from all the movies I have seen directed by this master so far, it remains by far my favourite one. It seems to be a little bit forgotten nowadays but I think it’s a shame because it is actually quite a spellbinding thriller. Eventually, since it was a big critical success at the time, it launched a new successful phase for this director, a phase which lasted until the end of his career. To be honest, after re-watching the damned thing, even if I still liked it, I have to admit that I was slightly less impressed than 20 years ago. I mean, the story was still terribly entertaining, I loved the directing but, eventually, I had a hard time to care about the characters this time around. I mean, the characters were entertaining enough but, eventually, not really interesting after all and actually barely defined. The best example would be June Gudmundsdottir, played by the lovely Greta Scacchi. Indeed, why would this intriguing woman would fall for such a weasel? Eventually, in my opinion, her behaviour seemed to be more plot-driven than actually really organic. Anyway, to conclude, I still think it is underrated gem and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Robert Altman’s work.