Robert Altman has produced two of the best films of the 90s (Short Cuts, The Player), but also two of the worst (Kansas City, Ready to Wear), so Cookie's Fortune was a large question mark on whether Altman would return to greatness. Fortunately he did. The pacing of the film is very slow, without the character depth and dialogue it would be tedious. But as with previous Altman successes -- you leave wanting more.
I fell in love with the characters at first glance. Glenn Close once again does a remarkable job playing a bitch you want to see get killed. Can she play anything else? Roc, I mean Forrest Whittaker, I mean Charles S. Dutton, is charismatic and intriguing in the lead role. Jason Patric as the half-cocked bratty cop reminds you of Don Knotts in Mayberry on Viagra. Liv Tyler -- the heir apparent to Juliette Lewis (no -- that's not a compliment) plays a whiny annoying brat -- so the lack of an acting stretch makes her role endurable. Someone please tell me what Lyle Lovett is doing in this film. Strong acting performances, and fun characters, carry this film--as well as the dialogue.
We are introduced to a beautiful friendship -- almost reminiscent of Driving Miss Daisy -- between Cookie, an elderly southern woman, and Dutton -- the friendship is immediately intriguing as he offers her some cat fish enchiladas, and breaks into her home to clean her guns. The friendship between Emma (Liv Tyler), Cookie's niece, and Dutton is less convincing -- very little chemistry -- but does leave the viewer satisfied.
As with Short Cuts and Nashville, Cookie's Fortune's greatest strength lies in seeing the community, and casual relationships between a typically large Altman cast. Watching how they interact, how they are related, and the culture of a small community are the most intriguing element of this film. The Star Wars I-am-your-father ending of the film strengthens relationships that at first seemed more casual. The simple answer of why a police officer believes Dutton -- "I went fishing with him" -- shows the strength within the community. But when we see how closely the characters are really related -- by blood as well as by ties -- the film makes more sense and the bonds that previously seemed slightly eccentric, even misplaced in our racially segregated society, strengthen earlier scenes in the film.
Not surprisingly Close -- a.k.a. the Ultimate Manipulative Bitch From Hell -- steals the show. She's like a mix of Blanche from Street Car Named Desire and Blanche of the Golden Girls. A hammy, manipulative, eccentric, dramatic, self centered bitch. I think the character is based on a minimum of four of my ex-girlfriends. It's her contrast with Dutton's simplicity that truly drives the film. Close almost seems to be trying to recreate plantation times of years earlier, and literally forcing her image as the director of a play (which she says is co-written by her and Oscar Wilde). This contrasts nicely with Dutton's universal acceptance, simplicity and kindness -- the words uncle and Tom did come to my mind as I watched -- as I believe they were supposed to -- and Altman's twist ending for his multi-cultural background provides the foil for that thought pattern.
In all, Cookie's Fortune is a well done, slow paced, dramatic, darkly comedic, well acted return of Altman -- I eagerly anticipate his next film. If you're looking for CGI effects and explosions -- avoid it -- if you like character-driven films -- this is a winner.
(c) Copyright 1999