Robert Altman directed this bittersweet ensemble piece about an eccentric and entangled group of family and friends living in the Deep South. Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt (Patricia Neal) is the widowed matriarch of a small-town Mississippi family, which includes her nieces Camille (Glenn Close), a pretentious would-be artist staging an amateur production of Salome at a local church, and Cora Julianne Moore), her less than enthusiastic leading lady. Willis (Charles S. Dutton), the caretaker of
Cookie's rambling mansion, tries to persuade her sweet but aimless grand-niece, Emma (Liv Tyler), to move in with her, but she's more interested in her on-again, off-again romance with local cop Jason (Chris O'Donnell). Typical of Altman's work, Cookie's Fortune weaves together a number of different plot lines with relaxed grace, and features an impressive cast, including Ned Beatty, Lyle Lovett, and Courtney B. Vance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Cookie's Fortune is a wittily diagrammed portrait of a small town shaken to its roots by this deceptive calamity. The movie, though, never really becomes more than a diagram.
Cookie's Fortune is Robert Altman's sunniest film, a warm-hearted comedy that somehow manages to deal with death and murder charges without even containing a real villain.
Despite some lovely performances (though, sad to say, Patricia Neal's isn't one of them) and charming moments, this meandering ensemble piece and its Tennessee Williams-ish finale is oddly out of character.
Everyone loves a good murder mystery. And with a distinguished director like Robert Altman at the helm, and with talent like Glenn Close, Patricia Neal, Charles Dutton, Ned Beatty, and Julianne Moore, it would be hard to miss.
The old energy and bite may be lacking, but at least this lazy, amiable shaggy-dog story was made in the same freewheeling, idiosyncratic way as Altman's best work.
"Cookie's Fortune" is a sharp, dazzling dark comedy from Robert Altman. Anne Rapp's screenplay both captures the essence of small town life and character as well as satirizes it. The 'murder' mystery centerpiece is clever, funny and unique. Punctuated by a fantastic ensemble, featuring memorable turns from Glenn Close,
Julianne Moore, Chris O'Donnell, Charles S. Dutton, Liv Tyler and Patricia Neal. "Cookie's Fortune" perfectly captures Altman's comedic sensibilities and knack for crafting wonderfully funny and true characters.
May 10, 2011
Steven Carrier
Super Reviewer
Nothing amazing but a solid small town dramedy/mystery that's well acted and amusing. I haven't seen most of Altman's work before but this seems very much his style from what I've seen.
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