As evidenced by films like M*A*S*H, Nashville, Short Cuts and Gosford Park, Robert Altman has achieved his greatest success with ensemble works that follow intersecting lives around a single event or setting. In 1977 he focused on a more concise character study with 3 Women. The result, perhaps more than any other work, illustrates the filmmaker’s best and worst impulses.
On one hand, 3 Women offers memorable characters, an idiosyncratic structure and touches of Altman’s signature style, injecting documentary-style moments into a quirky formal approach. We’re drawn into the story of terminally chatty physical therapist Millie Lammoreoux (Shelley Duvall in one of her best performances) who befriends the painfully naïve newcomer Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek). The two become roommates, but Pinky’s admiration for Millie—she gushes that Millie is “the most perfect person I ever met”—leads to an irrevocable change in their lives. Lurking on the sidelines is Willie, the pregnant artist and long-suffering wife, who represents the maturity and depth Millie and Pinky cannot attain. But it soon becomes clear Altman doesn’t really respect his characters, preferring instead to poke fun at them with increasing contempt (most notably in Millie’s slavish devotion to recipes from McCall’s and pathetic attempts at romance). More damaging to the film overall is its lack of cohesion. His refusal to offer a comfortable resolution is admirable, but he regrettably indulges in self-conscious artiness. As a result, the symbolism of water, burgeoning sexuality and a shared nature between the three women feels like an afterthought.
Ultimately, while not a completely satisfying film, 3 Women is an interesting part of Altman’s oeuvre, and the DVD includes a commentary track by the filmmaker that helps clear up some of its muddier aspects.