Criterion Collection: Tanner 88 [DVD] [1988] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

This has that Altman mix; often brilliant, and occasionally over the-top,and self conscious. The acting is generally good, but a little uneven.Some characters are very real, others come off as pure caricature. Theseries felt longer than it needed to be to make its points. The middleepisodes were a bit boring.(Spoiler alert!)But then there's the episode where Tanner goes into the hood and meetsw/real mothers of murdered kids, in a lengthy improvised scene of pain andanger which is simply devastating, and the whole series felt redeemed.Overall, while watching it, I liked it, not loved it. But looking back,it left me with a much more powerful and lasting impression. And on2nd viewing the sad power of the piece seemed much more importantthan the occasional flaws.

One of the best political satires ever made: highest recommendation, not one single false note. Excellent!

Tanner is an odd bird, it hasn't aged quite as well as i thought it would...yet it remains interesting and sometimes fascinating. The performances are all over the place, sometimes great (Micheal Murphy especially) and sometimes alomst cartoonish...this could be a result of the writing...Trudeau is a cartoonist after all. Being taped on video gives it an odd look as well. Still i watched the whole thing in one sitting and wanted more...so it gets 4 stars. (the interview with Altman and Trudeau is a nice plus)

Script by Gary Trudeau, directed by Robert Altman, shot on video with a small crew, improvising around real life Democratic Convention, bringing in real people from media and politics. And with a candidate, Jack Tanner, who was remarkably prescient of Clinton. The campaign slogan "For Real" had it's tongue firmly in it's cheek. All well ahead of the pack in terms of reality tv, dogme films and it's undertanding of the media.Truly Excellent. I hope they do it justice in the DVD release.

This is one of the most important things Alman's done. Which is probably why it's one of his favorites along with MASH and NASHVILLE and SHORT CUTS. It is a political satire set in the '88 presidential election. It has everything and more, even a sequal, Tanner On Tanner. Very smart and sophisticated. CHECH IT OUT NOW!!!!!!