Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek) is an introverted young woman starting work at a health spa in California. She is so shy that on her first day at work, she doesn't even challenge her co-worker Millie Lammoreaux (Shelley Duvall) who mistakes her for a client. Millie needs a roommate and Pinky quickly snaps it up. However Pinky's quiet loner nature turns Millie against her. After Millie berates Pinky, Pinky takes a suicidal dive into the pool leaving her in a coma. When she wakes up, there's a change in Pinky and Millie finds strange occurrences perpetrated by Pinky.The first half is fine with Spacek and Duvall playing to their comfort zones. I kept wondering where this movie is going with this. Then it takes a hard turn into Single White Female situation. That is a great turn but it doesn't continue as I expected. It goes into a surreal sojourn in some kind of poetic journey. It's definitely a surprise but I'm not convinced that it's a good surprise. I think a more simpler road with the two girls would be more compelling especially considering the third woman is only a minor character. Maybe there's a point in the surreal poetry that I missed.

The first lackluster hour is filled with vapid dialogue mainly between two extremely unintelligent characters. This first hour is an opportune moment for washing dishes, washing clothes, or any other kind of menial chore. Trust me, the film hardly requires your cognitive faculties.Finally, tension finally builds around 65:00, but the film hardly takes off, wastes time on moments that can be summarized succinctly in 1 minute, etc. There's nothing really shocking, and any opportunity for additional excitement is crushed by Altman's apparent genius.If this is Altman's best film, then consider not seeing any. Do something more valuable with your time.

I'm still discovering Robert Altman's films, and after a few deceptions (not so much because those I watched were bad movies, but because I had high expectations), this one was a nice surprise. It's a movie that could only have been made in the 70's, it's one of a kind. From the few popular movies Shelley Duvall has been in, this is one of her finest. I couldn't help but smile when she says "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen twins?". Sissy Spacek is easier to catch on screen, she's also great in this.As of the amazing performances, we're introduced to a dreamy like California scenery, there's nothing unusual about those two words in the same sentence, but the atmosphere is almost ethereal, from the pastel colors to the apathetic people all around. I kept thinking if they did that just to spite Millie or because they simply wouldn't bother to listen to anyone. Millie's situation is so anguishing, it's really similar to one of those dreams where we talk and talk but people don't seem to notice, like we're ghosts. I know the character wasn't near being pleasant, but I felt sorry for her frustrated social efforts just the same.I had no idea what the film was actually about when I started watching it, and as Pinky's obsession with Millie developed, I figured it was going to be a very well plotted drama, or something like it. That it is, but it's something else, too. If we pay attention, from the start, there's a strange feeling lurking about, like something's not entirely right...or real. It's no coincidence that Pinky's real name is Mildred, which is also short for Millie (also, Willie...), and both women seem to enter some sort of fusion, there's something that ties them together. Besides, there's another woman, of enigmatic behavior, her importance is revealed further along. For now, all we know is that she paints those exotic printings inside the pool. As of Pinky's accident, which might as well be related to those paintings, she suffers a drastic change of heart, now she IS Millie.It's not revealed to us whether her accident caused her some kind of neurological damage or the beginning of some kind of mental illness...but I'm not so fond of these realistic explanations, not coming from a movie like this. Especially because it wouldn't explain that last scene, where the three women appear to have reached some sort of weird organization, featuring different generations...perhaps they're supposed to be one? I'm not sure of the meaning for the metaphor, all I know is that it's a very intriguing movie, giving us a lot to think about at the end, and it sure is an interesting story about what the experience of being a woman means.

So I watched 1977's dream flick "3 women", by the late great Robert Altman. This movie stars both Shelly Duvall and Sissy Spacek, both who won awards for their acting in this film. So is this movie good, yes if you like the surreal (which I do). Is it a classic, I say yes but of cult status only. This is not a mainstream movie. Even for Altman this movie is out there. This is not one of his typical dialog driven smart comedy. It is a flick about images, ideas, and things that are open for interpretation. Including the end which Altman himself said he was not quite sure he understood. The inspiration for this film was in fact a dream Altman had. This film starts out seemingly normal but slowly morphs into a dream, becoming stranger and stranger with each passing scene. I recommend this movie for indy lovers and art lovers. I am not sure many others would appreciate the rather intellectual high art concept of this film. Watching this movie with friends may be the best way to go, with the right group this film could inspire a deep philosophical and existential debate. if you like concise reviews of interesting films please read my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/