Director Robert Altman (his last
film) and writer Garrison Keillor join forces with an all-star
cast to create a backstage fable about a radio variety show that
has managed to survive in the age of television. Meryl Streep and
Lily Tomlin star as a country duet act, Kevin Kline is Guy Noir,
a private eye down on his luck and Woody Harrelson and John C.
Reilly are the Old Trailhands, a singing cowboy act. Add Virginia
Madsen as an angel, Tommy Lee Jones as the Axeman who’s
come to close the show and Keillor in the role of a hangdog MC,
and you have a playful and captivating story. The picture
combines Altman's cinematic style and intelligence and Keillor's
songs and storytelling. The result is a series of extraordinary
acting turns, especially Kline's elegant Keaton-esque detective
and Tomlin and Streep's beautiful portrayal of the two
sisters.
