if i had a better copy, i might feel differently. Maybe.

One of the strongest Altman ensemble movies. The best thing about it is the way it feels real...there are things going on that we don't see but we know they're taking place behind the scenes. It is also hilarious.

The farce is brilliant fun, but it inexplicably loses some steam when the girl on the horse shows up and gets bogged down in silly side-plots like Buffy's pregnancy and Tulip's ridiculous affair. It's good though. The bishop is hilarious.

There are some interesting characters and laugh-out-loud moments (security helping the bishop up the stairs), all leading up to a harrowing final 10 minutes that will run you through the proverbial ringer. Unfortunately, most of the material leading up to it isn't as fully realized as I would have hoped.And worse, the relationships between characters feels a bit contrived (Burnett falling for that guy?! Come on), especially when compared with something as organic-feeling as Altman's "Nashville".