Cert 15
93 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, violence, drug use
Robert Altman? Isn't he the fella who spent a huge amount of money on that terrible Popeye movie?
Ah, yes, that's him.
And wasn't he so difficult that even Princess Grace Of Monaco refused to allow him anywhere near the pictures in which she invested?
And didn't the musician Plan B record a song which was entitled Don't You Hate Robert Altman Movies?
Obviously, Altman was akin to Marmite. Some loved him and some hated him.
His films were panned or adored in almost equal measure as evidenced by his irreparable splits from studios despite his seven Oscar nominations.
Most movie fans will have one Altman picture among their favourites. Mine is The Player which was a brilliant reflection of Hollywood's worst traits.
Ron Mann's biopic of Altman supported by his widow Kathryn Reed, is a homage to the director rather than an analysis of his ups and downs.
It includes a long list of celebrities offering their definition of Altman-esque. They offer up a thesaurus of words which mean the same thing - boundary-pusher.
This documentary outlines his life from his childhood through his early inroads into TV and then into the movies.
It is peppered with home movie footage which show Altman as a bon viveur who loved to entertain.
Altman is an interesting film but it can only score 6/10 in my book because it is an out-and-out
tribute and doesn't tell the whole story.
Director Ron Mann: "A filmmaker doesn't usually have this kind of bounty or treasure trove of material available to them, and I'm not really a spiritual person but it almost felt like Bob was helping this film along."
Reason to watch: the home movie material which revealed the real Altman
Reasons to avoid: There is too much soft soap and his failures are washed over.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 6/10