COOKIE'S FORTUNE

US, 1999, 118 minutes, Colour.
Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Chris O’ Donnell, Charles S. Dutton, Patricia Neal, Donald Moffatt, Ned Beatty.
Directed by Robert Altman.

Robert Altman is renowned for telling stories that involve a large range of characters in a special place who interact with each other as the camera moves around, looking at one, looking at another, until a satisfying cinematic mosaic is formed (Nashville, A Wedding, The Player, Short Cuts). This time he is in a small southern town, but the effect, lighter than usual is the same.

As always, he has a splendid cast with veteran Patricia Neal as the pipe-smoking Cookie and Charles Dutton as Willis. Glenn Close gives another of her 'wicked witch' villain performances, this time a surface Southern gentlewoman and pillar of the parish who is a scheming controller and who has hidden her secrets deeply. Julianne Moore is the sister, Liv Tyler the daughter.

The atmosphere of the town is well recreated as is life in this kind of town, giving depth to the characters, the family and the witnesses around the town. Altman has an ironic touch which means that, without the audience being too conscious of it, there is a great deal of moralising.

1.The work of Robert Altmann: his multi-stories within story, the interweaving of the stories and the characters? The humour, the irony? His contribution to Americana stories?

2.The atmosphere of the South: the small town, the houses, the workplaces, the police, the jail? The church and the hall? An authentic atmosphere and filming within the town itself? The river? The musical score - the jazz and its mood, tempo, sound, the atmosphere of the South?

3.The quality of the ensemble star cast and their working together?

4.Willis and his presence, his personal style, his ambling gait, going to the bar, dropping the bottle - and replacing it surreptitiously? His seeing Emma, his arguments with Cookie, their scoring against each other, cleaning the guns in the middle of the night - and the irony of the continually opening gun case? The ordinary days, breakfast, his going on errands, sharing the memories of Buck with Cookie? The impact of her death and his grief?

5.Cookie, her long life, her devotion to her husband? Her slow style, smoking the pipe, valuing the necklace, appreciating the guns and the memory of Buck, telling the stories? One-upmanship with Willis? The boy in the garden? Her decision to kill herself, writing the note, shooting herself through the pillow and the flow of feathers? The irony of her writing the will, the lawyer having charge of it, the aftermath?

6.Camille and Cora, their relationship, sisters, their dependence on each other? Camille's domination of Cora, Cora's dependence? Their attitude towards Cookie and Camille's disdain? The relationship with Emma - and the irony of the revelation of the truth? Cora acting as her mother - yet letting Emma go? Camille and the play, the choice of Salome for the play, her control and direction? Her dominant manner, being a busybody? The church and her righteousness? Her night prayer and the hypocritical manner of her praying? The irony of the facts, Camille commanding Cora about the murder and suicide hypothesis? Cora adamant at the end in maintaining the murder story? A twinkle in her eye or not? And then the truth about Camille, her blood condition, the baby?

7.Camille and the visit to Cookie, wanting the salad bowl? Up the stairs, the reaction to the dead body, taking the gun, imagining a murder case and dramatising it, retracing the steps (and the young boy seeing it)? Dropping the bowl and cutting her finger and the repercussions with the blood? Coaching Cora for her testimony that suicide was impossible and undignified? Camille taking over the house, running around the garden to obscure her steps? Crossing the police lines without any scruple? Her presumption?

8.The play, the rehearsals, Camille allowing Willis to be arrested? Her reaction? Cora locked out of the house after Camille's own arrest, no phone available and not able to answer it? The irony of the will? Cora telling the truth and being adamant about it?

9.Willis, the whiskey, replacing it, visiting Emma and inviting her to dinner, his grief at Cookie's death, the melodrama of the arrest, the benign treatment by the police? The investigator from the other town and his aggression? The assistant police, knowing he was innocent because they fished with him? Jason and his friendship with Willis, Emma coming to jail, the sexual encounters? The playing cards? Willis telling Emma the whole story about their relationship and the family traditions? The will and Willis being the beneficiary? Willis as a good man?

10.The lawyer, his playing Herod and the irony about his treatment of Cora as Salome and Camille as actually wanting to have Willis's head on a plate? His discussions with Willis, supporting him? As an attorney helping Camille? His revelation of the will and his reading it?

11.Cora and her relationship with Emma, the truth, the play and the performance, the performance and real life?

12.Emma, her background, kicking over the traces, leaving? Coming back, working with the catfish and enjoying the work? Her relationship with Manny - his infatuation with her, employing her, eyeing her and hoping against hope? The revelation of the truth about Camille being her mother? The happy ending and her future with Jason? Jason as young, in love with Emma, joining the police, his role in the play and his rather ordinary performance, the sexual encounters?

13.The assistant police, folksy, going fishing?

14.The contrast with the investigator coming from the neighbouring city, his assistant and his being very strict, butting in with the wrong information?

15.The investigations - the questioning of all the people in the shops, at the bar, their giving alibis to Willis? The inconsistencies of the time? The discussions with Manny?

16.Everything working out nicely for the good characters? Cora and her independence? Camille and her frustration and nervous breakdown?

17.Nice and ironic and humorous observations of the complexities and simplicities of human nature?