Nashville

Even the biggest Robert Altman fan must concede that Nashville, with its 24 major characters spread out over nearly three hours of screen time, is a self-indulgent mess. This all-star, to put it mildly, epic about five days in the life of the country music capital unreels like a wildly careening automobile, with one wheel in the ditch and the others on the road. Still, perhaps because of Altman's audaciousness in putting anything and everything he filmed on the screen, as well as the film's several fine performances (albeit, teetering on the edge of caricature), you just can't look away. Unfortunately, those looking for insight into Nashville's modest charms won't find it in Altman's full-length commentary, which is primarily concerned with production minutia. Still, if only for sheer filmmaking bravado's sake, this belongs in every well-stocked film library. Recommended. (S. C. Sickles)