A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

Entering into an Altman film is exactly that - 'entering'. We're never properly introduced to the characters as much as we are dropped into their world and made to keep track of the faces we meet along the way. Watching A Prairie Home Companion is to see a the great joy of creation - actors, writers, designers, musicians all allowed to roam free and do what they do best. The film is a sprawling homage to the radio show, and fans will find a lot to enjoy here. Familiar characters played by familiar actors pop in an out of each scene, giving the impression of a large family enjoying each others company. Though there was a working script, very little of the film feels scripted. Scenes flow from one chapter to another with a fast paced choreography which nods back to previous Altman films like 'Nashville', the action all taking place in a contained space, the actors playing off each other like a ping-pong tournament. This being Altman's final film - the woman in white no doubt signifies a lot more than might have been intended. You get the feeling that he felt the end was coming, and that he damn better well have fun before he got there.

The film tells the story of a radio group who are performing for the last time. The film is full of scenes on backstage as well as on stage. There are numerous songs. The lives of these people have been shown in the film. And to be exact their last day is being shown in the radio show. While there is no particular Antagonist or the Protagonist, everyone is doing their own job. I liked the idea of the film.PROS: The film presents a very nice backstage Ambiance. The performances by all were amazing. The way they handled things when something goes wrong on the stage was awesome. There is a lot of overlapping dialogs in the films which will induce some confusion in your mind and at the same time make you to listen to them carefully. The sound mixing was good as for the whole time, the songs were being sung on the stage and they had to be intermingled with the backstage talks. The more important thing that was conveyed in the film was that the performers were so old but then also they had the same energy to perform. Because that is what they love doing. There was no hatred among the performers on the stage and that was very nice to see.CONS: Sometimes the comedy looked too much and did not looked funny but a little absurd. The cast did not perform weirdly or overly acted but that the situations looked too obvious. Sometimes you might feel bored also because the film is slow. But in all it is a subtle comedy.MESSAGE: "Where there is will there is way." VERDICT: "A recommended watch."

The film chronicles the frenetic comings and goings backstage as the last-ever performance of a long-running radio show, featuring country music and variety acts, gets under way.A Prairie Home Companion is a delectable swan song to the career of its great director; Robert Altman died in November 2006. Minor in both key and stature, it's corny, good-natured and old-fashioned, rather like Garrison Keillor's real radio show that gives the film its title. Still, it has a decent story: the show is about to be taken over by a philistine Texas corporation and closed down. Fittingly, the shadow of death hovers gently over the story. It seems faintly symbolic, but Altman's camera drifts around backstage, peeking through curtains, nosing into nooks and crannies: a systematic way to convey information. Impeccable timing and effortless grace are the watchwords for this gentle, middle brow delight. The film had a successful limited release in the States and grossed $20,338,609 domestically and $25,978,442 worldwide.

I heard of this film after the death of legendary director Robert Altman (MASH, Nashville, Gosford Park), who died from complications of leukaemia after completing this film, so I had to watch it. There is no specific plot, it is basically seeing behind the scenes of the making of the last of episode of radio show "A Prairie Home Companion", being cancelled. It is a music variety show recorded live in front of an audience in a theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, hosted by real radio presenter Garrison Keillor, or GK (best known for voicing the Honda adverts). Regulars including singing guitarist cowboys and risqué humoured Dusty (Woody Harrelson) and Lefty (John C. Reilly), and the singing Johnson sisters Rhonda (Lily Tomlin) and Yolanda (Meryl Streep). The film sees them talk about their lives and the show backstage, and they try to convince the youngest Johnson sister, Lola (Lindsay Lohan) to sing on this last show. Also there is a mysterious white trench coat wearing woman (Virginia Madsen) wandering around the theatre, dim-witted security guard Guy Noir (Kevin Kline) is around too, and of course the man closing the theatre and show down, The Axeman (Tommy Lee Jones) is around to see the show end. Also starring Maya Rudolph as Molly, Marylouise Burke as Lunch Lady and L.Q. Jones as Chuck Akers. The all-star cast is very appealing, the singing and humour is the big hook of the film, and it was certainly a fine film for Altman to bow out with, a great comedy. Very good!