Roedy Green I gave Altman's Prairie Home Companion my first 10, and I have watched MASH and Gosford Park many times, but this film is an embarrassment. The dialog is boring. It feels like ad lib filler. There are a few clever scenes, but for the most part you keep waiting for something to happen that never does.It gets its cheap laughs from stereotype gay characters.The colour reminded me of home movies of the 1950s. The sound was muddy.I turned off the video several times watching it out of boredom, and returned later, to give it another chance. After all, this IS Altman, Glenda Jackson and Jeff Goldblum.

caa821 This movie has been trashed by a lot of folks, both professional reviewers and amateurs, and gets an overall little better than a "4" average in this site. Some I've seen have given it a zilch - not even 1 star. There are those who bemoan Altman's ruining Durang's great play (c'mon, he's a good one, but certainly not Shakespeare, and this story isn't "Hamlet"). Besides, he wrote the screenplay, too, and who - either writing or viewing this film - should be surprised at Altman's usual cacophony among the participants. This signature trait of his is why so many folks are at the opposite extremes in their opinions of Altman's work (I'm one of those who love his films). "Columbo" is one of my all-time favorite television shows, especially the earlier ones (after only the great "Larry Sanders Show;" don't know whether "Larry David" will settle into 3rd place, or nudge-out Peter Falk). My late mother couldn't watch "Columbo," although detective dramas were always her favorite genre. She couldn't abide his mumbling, and the way he always schlepped into and out of scenes, and always came back for "just one more thing." She was very intelligent, and didn't need me to explain that these were the key elements of this iconic lead character - she simply didn't like them. So it should be with those who watch an Altman offering and then bitch about it. Go watch some "Capra," no less great in his own way than Altman, but you'll keep your blood pressure down. This flick is outstanding, in my opinion. The characters are quirky (understatement), funny, sympathetic and interesting. The main cast - Goldblum, Hagerty, Guest, Conti, Jackson and Page - are wonderful, as are the supporting group. I'll admit - making the film in Paris, with a New York setting, is unusual, and seems at first an interesting puzzle - but not really (who wouldn't, for example, take the opportunity to film a story set, say, in Los Angeles, in Madrid, if the producers would approve?). This is one of those films, also, where I find myself rewinding the DVD to see certain scenes over again, every time I watch it.

gftbiloxi Christopher Durang's off-Broadway play BEYOND THERAPY was a triumph, and Durang himself worked with director Robert Altman to bring it to the screen. The result is a truly remarkable film--beautifully played by a first-rate cast, quick paced, provocative, romantic, and very, very funny--that is frequently attacked for not being a line-for-line translation of the stage original.Unlike some Altman films, BEYOND THERAPY actually offers storyline. When Prudence and Bruce (Julie Hagerty and Jeff Goldblum) meet for a blind date the result is disastrous--not surprising, when Bruce casually notes that he is bisexual and living with lover Bob (Christopher Guest.) Prudence and Bruce rush back to their therapists (Tom Conti and Glenda Jackson, respectively) for advice... but their therapists are nuttier than they are, and soon they, Bob, Bob's mother Zizi (Genevieve Page), and the entire waitstaff of a French restaurant are dragged into the fray.Durang's script adaptation and Altman's wall-of-sound take on it is wickedly funny, and so many memorable lines ("My mother is NOT a transvestite!") bounce through the film that the effect is absolutely dizzying; the sound design is also memorable for the constant car crashes and china shattering that occurs in the background, a metaphor for collision of characters happening before our eyes. The entire cast is absolutely first rate (Hagerty, Goldblum, and Guest have never been better), and Altman guides them with a very sure hand.Altman's vision always divides viewers: you either like his films or you do not. Although BEYOND THERAPY offers a relatively small cast in a cohesive story, it is actually one of Altman's most visually and aurally kaleidoscopic films, and it is unlikely to convert those who find his style confusing and frustrating. But that said, this is a must-have film for any Altman fan, a truly enjoyable romantic comedy with a razor sharp script and a joyous style. Strongly, strongly recommended.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Charly-25 Not only is Christopher Durang's delicious comedy totally ruined on film, the sound quality in many scenes is so bad, it is a painful strain on the ears of the viewers. Often Julie Hagerty's soft voice is completely drowned out by traffic and other background noises. Somebody, please remake this one!