Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

A Disappointing Continuation

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are dozens of relevant characters as they spend their time in the city of Nashville. The stories weave an interconnected tapestry. There is a forthcoming political rally for Hal Phillip Walker as the Replacement Party candidate for President which is omnipresent throughout the movie.I disliked this movie the first time I tried to watch it. There are so many characters that it's hard to follow anything. It's story chaos. It's not just a matter of being lost. I couldn't see the point of not following the lead characters. After a few half-hearted attempts, I finally gave it a serious try. There is a zen feel about watching this movie. I could lock onto a couple of characters especially played by some of the most recognizable actors. I let the movie wash over me. The singing gets me zoned out. It's a hypnotic form of people watching. It's got the Altman style. I'm not sure whether most modern audiences could ever truly love this.

What is this movie even about? I'm aware asking such a question is reductive in the face of such a vast and overwhelming cinematic accomplishment. Yet despite its melodious and melancholic emotional core and its initial impact as one of the defining films in a decade full of defining films, I still can't help but think Nashville is not meant to be interpreted. This poses a unique challenge for me as a semi-professional critic. The film is not only best appreciated by an audience that treasures experience over contemplation, emotion over logic, but gazes through the slice-of-life story with a lens trying to make sense of post-Watergate era Americana.The story, if one were to find one, follows the lives of numerous interrelated human-beings. All descend on the city of Nashville, Tennessee and all involved (or want to be involved) in the country music industry. Among the crowded field of primary characters is Haven Hamilton (Gibson) the presumed king of Nashville's music scene who also has political ambitions. There's Del (Beatty) and Linnea Reese (Tomlin) a struggling married couple; one's a lawyer the other a gospel singer. There's Tom Frank (Carradine), a self-absorbed folk-rock musician and Barbara Jean (Blakley), a famous and emotionally fragile country talent. Then there are the musical up- and-comers like Connie White (Black) and Tommy Brown (Brown). There are wannabes like Sueleen (Welles) and Albuquerque (Harris) and sycophants like Opal (Chaplin) and L.A. Joan (Duvall), all looking for absolution in a city that promises good times and possible fame.All the characters that I just listed are but a sample of the characters that drift and cross paths between Nashville's seedy nightclubs, cluttered highways and the pristine Grand Old Opry. But lest you think the narrative is too cluttered, every character has their moment to show the audience who they are and how they're changed by events larger than themselves. Meanwhile director Robert Altman captures the pathos of Nashville's microcosm in confident fashion. Characters make decisions that are at times solemn, desperate, tranquil, kind and despicable yet Altman's even hand and watchful eye looks on with fair-minded kindness and humanity.Many of Altman's detractors object to the directors presumed cynicism towards human nature which arguably interjects in some of the director's most famous works. One can't help but take a cursory look at films like M*A*S*H (1972) and The Player (1992) and wholly agree with such an assessment. Yet after my initial trepidation of consuming all things Altman, that criticism holds less sway. Altman seems to immerse and undermine systems not people. You only need to compare the visual hyperbole of M*A*S*H with the drowning pessimism of Catch-22 (1970) to see Altman doesn't dwell on the "insignificance" of man but rather the folly of social constructs. In M*A*S*H it's war; in Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976) it's subjugation of native peoples; in Nashville it's dichotomic politics.In the case of Nashville, not only does Altman attack the binary of American politics in the story (fronted by an unseen pseudo-populist political campaign), he attacks it in how he tells he story as well. The film's narrative can be best described as post-structuralist narrative, that is to say not beholden to an underlying theme or framework. Any attempts to decipher the film would yield a bevy of contradictions that threaten to unravel any theory one can posit. Even if Altman is the director and ultimately the "author" to the film, all the music in the film was written by the actors themselves. The cacophonous sound design was the product of USC wunderkind Jim Webb who miked everyone to allow for a breadth of experience. The editing done by first-time Altman collaborator Dennis Hill gives perspective while restraining a point-of-view. Nashville gives the audience the feeling that no one is at the wheel. Even by approaching the film as a product of Robert Altman's assumed overarching modus aprendi to undermine systems has it's problems.Nashville transcends but not in the way you would expect. It accurately captures the antipathy, the uncertainty and most importantly the humanity of a certain place in time. The film has aged though in the way an autochrome photograph would. Modern audiences can appreciate it as a textured and awe-inspiring cultural accomplishment which dares to challenge film form, story structure and (maybe) the systems which bridles our lives. Without Robert Altman's subtle but indelible contribution to film, there'd be no Richard Linklater, Jim Jarmusch or Paul Thomas Anderson. Nashville showcases Altman's gentle hand, sharp wit and deep love of humanity which we all benefit from.

Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated individuals prepare for a political convention as secrets and lies are surfaced and revealed.I like to picture Hal Phillip Walker as an early Alex Jones (as seen in the films of Richard Linklater). Traveling around, blasting his unorthodox views to his unsuspecting audience. Is this a southern thing, or just a coincidence?The music is both central and completely unimportant; on one hand, it is Nashville and music is what defines the city. But on the other hand, it is the relationships that really make this film -- the songs could have been anything. Indeed, Altman says that the cast wrote their own songs without any regard for whether they would be good or bad. This was unimportant (and Altman, oddly enough, was never a fan of country music).What makes the movie real is that much of the film was spontaneous and improvised... actors were given a basic plot and scenario, but actual conversations were largely unscripted. Altman says the film is what it is because of the casting -- had Robert Duval been cast rather than Henry Gibson, that character would have turned out completely different.Karen Black shows where the music meets the casting. She wrote her own songs and performs them remarkably well. She could have the best performance of the film, and it could be her best performance of any film. Had another person filled her shoes and wrote her songs, it could have been different.Oddly, Gary Busey wrote one of the songs and was supposed to be in the film, but was picked up for the television series "The Texas Wheelers" alongside Mark Hamill. Never heard of this show? Me, neither, and it disappeared after eight episodes.The film itself is rather divisive among viewers. Pauline Kael described the movie as "the funniest epic vision of America ever to reach the screen", and both Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin gave the film four-star reviews and called it the best film of 1975. In his original review, Ebert wrote, "after I saw it I felt more alive, I felt I understood more about people, I felt somehow wiser. It's that good a movie." Not sure I loved it on quite that level. While I think there is a lot of good in it, there is a lot of... well, just things I did not care about. Could this have been trimmed down to two hours? Probably. Did it need twenty-four main characters? Probably not.

Opening credits reads for a very long time, but once it's starts, it's really does start. It captures the time and place so vividly. A film on superficiality and hypocrisy of the American people for how is created. This is a riot. Even if Robert Altman is exaggerating about how loose this was, it is amazing how much of this was done essentially the fly and assembled in the editing room. The musical film follows country, gospel music stars, and 24 near normal people in Nashville, TN. The movie is full of musical numbers, and multiple story lines. Having 24 characters in a movie for the audience to watch, and care is hard to follow. It get somewhat confusing, and the story only have a overaching story arc with each character trying to become somebody. Most of the characters come together at Parthenon in Nashville to witness a outdoor concert for a populist running for President of the United States on the Replacement Party ticket. The overarching plot takes place over five days leading up to a political candidate Hal Phillip Walker ralley, who is never seen throughout the entire movie. Hal Phillip Walker's folksy political aphorisms is mixed with overblown songs juxtaposed with country superstar intended to commemorate the upcoming Bicentennial. The most popular country singer is Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley) just return to Nashville who just agree to join the ralley despite having health issues and the 'Main' Main character. Barbara Jean continue to struggle in her return to the point that she refuse to sing songs, and rather rambling stories about her childhood. After several false starts, Barnett escorts her from the stage and tells the disappointed audience that they can come to the Parthenon tomorrow and see Barbara Jean perform for free, thus committing her to the Walker concert. Without spoiling the end-- the Climax at the Walker concert is one of the most deep movie ending ever. It's still chilling to watch even today. Other key characters are Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) a wacky, celebrity-obsessed, self-absorbed radio reporter. As a surrogate for the audience, she provides an outsider's perspective on the business of music. She is never seen with a film crew, to the point she may not even be a filmmaker but just a groupie who uses fake credentials to gain access to famous people. Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) Grand Ole Opry star. His political ambitions play a pivotal role in the film's plot. Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn), a Vietnam War veteran looking forward to Barbara Jean performing in a stalking type of way. Sueleen Gay (Gwen Welles) a pretty young waitress at the airport lunch counter and a talentless, aspiring country singer. Her refusal to recognize her limitations and face reality gets her in trouble is one of the best characters in the film. What a great character! I felt such pity and embarrassment for self-deluded Sueleen, but the scene at the stag fund-raiser was heartbreaking, nonetheless measure of control of of the rheum. Several characters are based on real country music figures: Ronee Blakely's Barbara Jean is based on Loretta Lynn. There are also cameos from real stars Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, Vassar Clements and others all playing themselves. The actors and actresses composed some of the songs they performed in the film. The movie has some of the best songs, "Since You've Gone" This beautiful song, performed by the fictional folk trio Tom, Bill and Mary written for the film by Gary Busey. Weird. The whole sub-plot affair between Tom Frank (Keith Carradine) and Lennea Reese (Lily Tomkins) can be solve by the song 'I'm Easy" which won Best Original Song at the Academy Award. This song still holds up and to think that it was actually written by an actor like Keith Carridine. Such a poignant moment in the film. He had all those girls fooled into thinking he liked them individually and he called up another gal while Lily Tomlin's character was getting ready to leave. Lily's face near the end is absolutely heartbreaking, that scene had to have gotten her the Oscar nomination.Carradine also wrote "It Don't Worry Me", which is heard on the soundtrack throughout the film, and is the closing number performed by Barbara Harris onstage at the Parthenon. She sang it beautiful, it's a shame Barbara Harris didn't go on to greater things - she's a country gem. She plays as an aspiring singer-songwriter who failures to get a break, comes in the end, and opportunity is calling. Sueleen Gay, leaning against the post watching Harris performs, coming to grips with the fact that her big break is not happening. But still patiently waiting for it. You could look at it like that, or you could see the indifference as rather the ability of Nashville (or even, the country at large) to carry on with the show, despite the tragedy - which would signify, fundamentally, a collective belief that the show must go on. Altman's film remains, to me, the greatest example of cinematic Impressionism (it's not really made up of multiple overlapping stories --but he just touched on every right moment for each character and you caught that. Still it's spotty. The movie was widely despised by the mainstream country-music community at the time of its release; many artists believed it ridiculed their talent and sincerity. Of course almost all of those people have since passed. Nowadays country music is just rock n roll with a twang anyway. Then there are those that says the politics really hurts the movie. Everybody thought that the South's time was over but it sound like Altman's was saying - America is the South - parody does not mean offense. That's why Nashville keeps being the masterpiece it is. It is simple and complex at the same time. Mr Altman leaves everyone free to form an idea of his/her own about the story told on the screen