Nashville

"Nashville" is a sprawling masterpiece, touching on just about every juicy topic you can think of: money, politics, fame, religion, sex, and plenty more. You won't find a better encapsulation of America in the 1970s.

However, it is a hard film to describe. "Nashville" follows 24 characters over the course of five days in the titular city. Almost all of them are at least tangentially connected to the country music industry. Some are also involved in the campaign of Hal Phillip Walker, a "Replacement Party" candidate for president. We never meet Walker, but we frequently see a campaign van driving through town, spouting his populist bromides. The action culminates with a rally for the candidate which features two of the country stars we've met earlier.

Nashville is the perfect city to capture America's irrational, can-do optimism. In one scene, singer Connie King implores a few children to study hard in school, since anyone can grow up to be president.

But the film spends more of its time examining America's seedy side. Its characters tend to be hypocritical cynics, reflecting the nation's post-Watergate mood. (Actually, this has always been a dominant feature of American history. We became a superpower in part by herding Native Americans like cattle.)

The amazing thing about "Nashville" is that it never feels indulgent, despite running over two and a half hours and pulling in seemingly every topic it can fit. The credit here is owed to director Robert Altman. He films with a clinical eye, eschewing close ups in favor of shots that utilize his excellent sense of framing. He's also not afraid to suddenly cut away from a scene, once he's made his point.

The odd thing about "Nashville" is that it could easily be a half hour longer or shorter without gaining or losing much. None of the scenes are essential, but they frequently feel that way, and that's all you can ask of a film.