The film centers on the impending final show of a long running radio variety show called "A Priarie Home Companion," which is an actual show in Minnesota, hosted by Garrison Keillor who wrote the screenplay for this film based on his story, and also stars as the host, aptly named G.K. The story is in essentially real time, following the performers as they arrive and prepare for the show, then actually putting on the show while the drama swirls around them.As the show goes on, they prepare for who they are calling The Axeman. The station had recently been purchased by a big unnamed Texas company, and they sent one of their men to Minnesota to deliver the bad news in person. Besides waiting for the bad news, they must contend with the personality conflicts that come up between the performers, who are much more like a family than mere co-workers. There is also the case of the mysterious woman in white, who has been seen walking around the premises.
The story just seems so inconsequential next to the personalities here, it is more like a "day in the life" type of tale. It made no difference whether the show actually got cancelled or not. I actually found myself disconnected from the film, I did not care about the story, and to an extent I really didn't have any connection to the characters. The strange thing is, I found myself wanting to see more of these people, it is something I cannot truly explain. It is as if I was kept at arms length despite my efforts to draw myself closer to them.The characters and the way their parts are weaved throughout the tapestry of the film are where the heart lies. Robert Altman has done a fine job of moving from character to character, conversation to conversation masterfully, using the performance of the show as a bed on which to place the players. Each person has their own story to tell, they may not always tell the whole story, they may leave you wanting more, but at the some time you will just smile along with them, not really caring about what they so much as how they are.
The real strength lies in the casting. There is a fine ensemble assembled here, and while I wanted to know more about all of them, there were a few standouts. The character to payt attention to here is Guy Noir, played by Kevin Kline. Noir is an out of work private eye who is in charge of security for the show. His dialog makes him sound just like he is from a 1950s hard boiled detective, and if his delivery doesn't give it away, his name should be a hint. I loved watching him on the screen, his matter of fact, "just the facts," delivery is wonderful. Lindsay Lohan steps up her game here, she may not be one of the main performers, but her character of Lola Johnson, a suicide obsessesed teen is great. She shows here that she can be more than a tabloid target, I always thought she had the talent, this may be the proof. Comic relief is delivered in the cowboy duo of Dusty and Lefty, played by Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly. These two are hilarious, their backstage banter, and particularly their "Bad Joke" song are absolute highlights. Virginia Madsen is the mysterious woman who is the object of Guy Noir's piqued interest. She glides through all the scenes she is in, integral to the story, but detached from the setting, much like how I viewed the film. Lastly, there is G.K., as played by the previously mentioned Garrison Keillor, he is a wonderful figure, host of the show and the glue holding them all together. There are a number other notables, but to go through them all would have us here all night and would do you the disservice of being able to uncover them all yourself.The film is fascinating, yet the detachment I experienced is hard to overcome. Perhaps it is my lack of interest in the radio variety show, or of the music style performed? That is not to say it isn't good, or I don't enjoy it, or that it is any less valid than other styles, it is just not one that I would go out of my way for. However, this film is well worth seeing, despite my reservations, it is a film that I think my win me over with a few viewings. No, I don't feel a film should require multiple viewings, but I get the impression that there is a lot to discover inside this one.
Bottomline. Robert Altman and Garrison Keillor have crafted a loving ode to live radio. There is a certain beauty to how it is pieced together, it is almost poetic. As I write this, I feel my opinion of it changing, increasing as I have let it float around inside my head. This is a sweet film that is well worth your time.
Recommended.
I admit to being curious. I enjoyed the first two movies, for what they were. Both of them were flashy and fun superficial exercises, featuring some good car stunts. That right there is their claim to fame, as neither have had a terribly engrossing story, nor have they been known for the acting performances contained therein. I wondered if this one would continue the trend of over the top car antics, full of the whiz bang, and lacking in the cerebral.
Lucas Black plays Shawn, a perennial troublemaker who, after an exciting and destructive race, is shipped to Tokyo to live with his father. It doesn't take long before Shawn gets himself into some trouble in the Land of the Rising Sun. After we get the requisite moments of culture shock we get down to business. First up, fall for the wrong girl, you know, the main bad guy's girl. She comes in the guise of the nice girl who has her own reasons for being with the bad guy, without being bad herself. Next, pick up a comic relief sidekick, the kind of guy that can get in trouble so the hero can stand up for the little guy. Third, get involved with the bad guys, while retaining the good guy cred. This is all by the book stuff.
The thing that I enjoyed the most was the setting. I, of course, have my reservations about the accuracy of the Asian culture as portrayed, but I enjoyed what was given. The cultural differences combined with the change of scenery helped draw me in.
This movie had me completely engrossed from start to finish. I am not usually affected by films within the so-called "chick flick" genre, a distinction I don't like to make, but is an effective short hand when talking to friends. I was curious as to the mechanics of this mailbox, how it worked, if there was some sort of supernatural explanation, or was it some kind of space/time anomaly. That is what I wanted to know, along with the potential for timeline screwups. Those were some of the things I was looking forward to seeing , but those thoughts didn't last long as I become enveloped in the intertwining lives through time.
Watching this romance play out is so involving, you find yourselves rooting for them through time. You want them to get together. The obstacles and paradoxes in their way are enough to boggle the mind, but if you just accept the plot device, it becomes this wonderful world where crazy things happen and magic is the result.
We made it inside shortly after 9:00, the first band was a song or two into their set. This was the first time I had ever heard of them, they were called In Anchorage. Their music was sort of alternative rock sounding, and not terribly great. It was interesting to watch and listen to them, because as much as I was not moved by the music I found things to like about certain members of the band. Their sound was hampered by a poor mix, but I'm not sure a good mix would have won me over any more. Let's take a look at the good things. First up is the singer, his vocals were very good, a mix of raw and clean with some nice vibrato. He has a voice I would like to hear with music that was a bit more aggressive. Then there was the bass player, he had some nice licks, despite the difficulty in hearing him. Lastly, the drummer was excellent, he was doing a lot of interesting transitions and fills throughout the set. It was interesting to watch a band whose music did not affect me much, yet had some clear strength on some of its parts.
Now it was time for the first of the co-headlining acts, 
Finally, the moment we all were waiting for, it was time for 
onstage as he prowled the stage, on the otherside Ryan Cady evokes compasions to Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative in his stage presence while he amazes us with his guitar wizardry. In the back is Carl Fogarty on the skins, I recall the first time I saw them writing about how I wished his sound was bigger, well, the months since that show have been very kind, his sound has gotten much thicker and really holds the rhythm down. Fronting the band is Lou West who has a very good voice for this material, but I think he could be a better frontman, he lacks somewhat in the charisma department, fortunately Jim and Ryan pick up the slack. Back to the performance, the highlight of the night was, without a doubt, "Darkness." The song was incredible, it covers all the bases, great vocals, heavy riffs, smooth solos, altogether a great song. On top of that, they had a guest guitarist, a young girl, I would guess in her teens, Kristen Capalino. She played along doubling Ryan's rhythm section, until she broke into a solo later in the song and proceeded to blow us all away, her playing was absolutely incredible! Besides the great solo, her presence also showed how a second guitar player helps to thicken the sound, I would not mind seeing them add a second guitarist to the band. Their sound is thick to begin with, but to see what a second guitar adds, the mind boggles. In any case, this band has a bright future, good songs, ability to put on a great live show, I look forward to seeing what they do next.