I am watching the DVD of Popeye, the oft-maligned film that Robert Altman made in the early 80s, and I am smiling.
The movie, flaws and all, works for me. While I am no big Altman or Robin Williams fan, I am an obsessive fan of the work of Harry Nilsson, who did the songs and score for the film (the reason I purchased the DVD when it came out last year). He does some great work here, and Altman and Jules Fieffer (who wrote the screenplay) succeed in bringing the work of Thimble Theatre to live in vivid form.
What makes me smile is there is some great amount of heart and soul in the film, that intangible thing that converts the skeptical and moves viewers from observers to lovers of film. The cast are incredibly dedicated to make the material work, and I can’t fault the work effort displayed.
Movie making is the very definition of collaboration, and it is a disservice to the craftsmen and women who make films to say A DIRECTOR or AN ACTOR ‘made’ a (or any) film. No better example is this movie – the result of a lot of talented people getting together to recreate a 1930s comic-strip world – and while it is somewhat uneven and, as Williams himself joked on an episode of Mork and Mindy, “If you play it backwards, it has an ending,” it is still satisfying – at least to me and mine. Your enjoyment – and mileage – may vary.