3 Women

Film Details

Cast

Sissy Spacek, Shelley Duvall, Janice Rule

Technical Details

Star Review

In spite of its title, Robert Altman's mysterious 3 Women focuses mainly upon two characters: Millie (Shelley Duvall), a garrulous solarium worker, and Pinky (Sissy Spacek), a childlike girl who idolises her. Pinky's besotted behaviour is at first amusing, yet soon turns sinister as she gradually takes on aspects of Millie's personality. Then one night one of the women takes a drastic action, and suddenly everything is subverted…
This haunting work was inspired by a nightmare, and one extraordinary sequence in particular is one of the best dream representations ever captured on film. Spacek excels as the exquisitely odd chameleon, but Duvall's performance is an astonishing achievement. Thanks to her skill, Millie's monologues are alternately amusing, exasperating and troubling - like Nurse Alma in Bergman's Persona, her character obliviously chatters her way into a menacing situation when confined in the presence of a practically silent human - Duvall deservedly won the Best Actress award at Cannes. Altman may be best known for his sprawling ensemble pieces, but 3 Women proves he is equally as adept at nuanced character studies.

Alex Davidson on 9th June 2006

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Film Description

A dreamlike masterpiece from Altman and one of the most compelling films of the 1970s. The film tells the story of shy girl Pinkie who starts working in a nursing home and strikes up a relationship with Millie. The pair share an apartment and grow closer. A third woman, a mute pregnant artist, is also at the centre of a series of strange events that cause their personas to change and morph in unexpected ways.

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