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Director Robert Altman made more than thirty feature films and dozens of television episodes over the course of his career. The Altman retrospective currently showing at MoMA is a treasure trove for rediscovering Altman’s best known films (M*A*S*H, Nashville, Gosford Park) as well as introducing unreleased shorts and his little-known early work as a writer.

Every Altman fan has her or his own list of favorite films. For me, Altman’s use of music is always so innovative, original, and unprecedented that a few key films stand out from the crowd based on their soundtracks. Here are my top five Altman films based on their soundtracks:

1.   Gosford Park (2001): The English heritage film meets an Agatha Christie murder mystery, combining an all-star ensemble cast and gorgeous location shooting with a tribute to Jean Renoir’s La Règle du Jeu (1939). Jeremy Northam plays the real-life British film star and composer Ivor Novello. Watch for the integration of Northam/Novello’s live performances of period songs with the central murder scene, in which the songs’ lyrics explain (in hindsight) who really committed the murder, and why.

2.   Nashville (1975): Altman’s brilliant critique of American society in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate. Nashville stands as an excellent example of “Altmanesque” filmmaking, in which several separate story strands merge in the climactic final scene. Many, although not all, of the songs were provided by the cast, which includes Henry Gibson as pompous country music star Haven Hamilton, and the Oscar-nominated Lily Tomlin as the mother of two deaf children drawn into a relationship with sleazy rock star Tom Frank (Keith Carradine, whose song “I’m Easy” won the film’s sole Academy Award).

3.   M*A*S*H (1970): Ok, I will admit it. It took me a long, long time to appreciate M*A*S*H. Growing up in 1970s Toronto, I couldn’t accept Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould as Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John — familiar characters from the weekly CBS TV series (but played by different actors). Looking back, I realize that M*A*S*H really did break all the rules of filmmaking in 1970, not least of which because it appealed to the anti-Vietnam generation. Like so many later Altman films, what appears to be a sloppy, improvised, slap-dash film is in fact sutured together through the brilliant, carefully edited use of Japanese-language jazz standards blared over the disembodied voice of the base’s loudspeaker.

4.   McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971): Filmed outside of Vancouver, Altman’s reinvention of the Western genre stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. The film uses several of Leonard Cohen’s songs from his 1967 album The Songs of Leonard Cohen, allowing the songs to speak for often inarticulate characters. Watch for how the opening sequence, showing Beatty/McCabe riding into town, is closely choreographed to “The Stranger Song” as is Christie/Miller’s wordless monologue to “Winter Lady” later in the film — all to the breathtaking cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond, who worked with Altman on Images (1972) and The Long Goodbye (1973) as well.

5.   Aria (segment: “Les Boréades”) (1987): Made during Altman’s “exile” from Hollywood in the 1980s, this film combines short vignettes set to opera excerpts by veteran directors including Derek Jarman, Jean-Luc Godard, and Julien Temple. Altman’s contribution employs the music of 18^th-century French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. The sequence was a revelation to me personally, since it contains the only feature film documentation of Altman’s significant contributions to the world of opera. One of the first film directors to work on the opera stage, Altman directed a revolutionary production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress at the University of Michigan in the early 1980s: the work was restaged in France and used for the Aria Later, Altman collaborated with Pulitzer-Prize winning composer William Bolcom and librettist Arnold Weinstein to create new operas (McTeague, A Wedding) for the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Rounding out the top ten would be Short Cuts (1993), Kansas City (1996), The Long Goodbye (1973), California Split (1974), and Popeye (1980) — Robin Williams’ first film, and definitely an off-beat but entertaining musical.

Headline Image: Film. CC0 via Pixabay

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My Dadima Wears a Sari (Peachtree, 2007) written by Kashmira Sheth and illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi is a lovely picture book about a granddaughter asking her grandmother why she always wears a sari.

The grandmother patiently answers the questions. She explains why she likes saris and the many ways a sari can be used. (As an umbrella! Or a basket!) She also shares some of her favorite saris and the stories behind them, and even explains how to wear one.

The book is full of familial love as the grandmother passes on traditions and memories. It also include a glossary to identify some Hindi words used in the text and a step-by-step guide to putting on a sari properly.

Today’s reviewer, Aria, wasn’t familiar with saris before reading this book, but she is now.

Let’s hear what she has to say.

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Our reviewer: Aria

Age:  7

Things I like to do: Climb trees — it’s one of my favorite hobbies. I also like to swim.

This book was about: Dadima and her two grandchildren and how they always wanted to know why she wears a sari.

The best part was when: They were all looking in the mirror. That was the best part — with the saris.

I smiled when: When I saw the younger one of the granddaughters ask, “What if we were out in the jungle?”

I was surprised when: The book kept me thinking. I wanted to see what her three favorite saris were. It kept me curious.

This book taught me: How you can wrap a sari and the special way to do it. It’s a very big piece of material.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Beautiful.” “Curious.” “Illustrations.” (Aria noted that the book has beautiful illustrations.)

My favorite part of the book: All the colorful words. Especially when she was describing the gold sari she wore for her wedding.

My favorite picture in the book: The one on the last page where they’re smiling in the mirror.

Other kids reading this book should look for: The illustrations.

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Thank you, Aria!

You can learn more about author Kashmira Sheth by visiting her website. You also can read this interview .

You can learn more about illustrator Yoshiko Jaeggi by visiting her website. You also can read this review of another book she illustrated.

When I sat down to read Phyllis Root’s latest picture book, Scrawny Cat (Candlewick Press, 2011), to a class of second graders, they were all excited.

They had lots of stories to share about their pet cats, cats that belonged to friends and neighbors, and cats looking for homes.

So, they were very interested to hear the story of a lonely, little, lost cat looking for a home. They were sad when people told the cat to “get out of here.” They were worried when a mean dog chased him. And they were scared when the dinghy the cat hid in floated out to sea in a storm.

But just when it seemed all was lost, the dinghy landed on an island and Scrawny Cat met Emma who was just as lonely as he was.

And when I finished the book at the kids saw Scrawny Cat happy, safe and loved with Emma, they all said, “Awwww …”

Now, let’s hear from today’s guest reviewer, Aria, one of the students in the class. She’s never had a cat, because her sister is allergic to them, but she says that someday she’d like to have one.

Today’s reviewer: Aria.

Age: 7

Things I like to do: Climb trees, color and paint.

This book was about: A cat named Skipper who was a stray. His owners must have lost him. And he hides on a boat to get away from a mean dog and the boat sails away to a girl named Emma.

The best part was when: Skipper got his home and family — a new owner.

I smiled when: Skipper met Emma and she scratched his ears.

I was worried when: The boat drifted away in the big storm. And when the cat was being chased by the big dog.

I was surprised when:The girl picked him up and took him home and the cat was so worried that she would toss him out the door.

This book taught me: If a friend doesn’t want to be your friend anymore, that’s OK. Because you can find another friend who will like you, too.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Kindness.” “Nice.” “Friendly.”

My favorite line or phrase in the book: “Now, everyone called him Get Out of Here. But the scrawny cat knew his name was not Get Out of Here.

Other kids reading this book should watch for: “The big, growly dog.”

You should read this book because: It’s nice. People who have cats might like this book, too.

Thanks, Aria! You did a marvelous job.

This book’s author, Phyllis Root, has written more than 30 children’s books. If you’d like to learn more about her, you can visit this website, or read this question-and-answer interview.

If you’d like to learn more about illustrator Alison Friend, who made scrawny cat look so pathetic and scared I just wanted to pick him up and give him a hug, you can visit her website.