The film of the week this time is 12 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268690/

13 Conversations about one thing is like a Robert Altman film. A whole bunch of characters thrown together who all relate in some way. This is a film about Happiness. Some have lost it and others have just done something that makes them feel it. This isn't as dark as the other film about Happiness which happens to be called Happiness. In the case of Matthew McConaughey's character Troy, he is a lawyer who just one a big case and wants to brag about it. He meets Alan Arkin's character Gene who is manager at an insurance company who has been assigned the tough job of firing somebody. Arkin is downbeat and cynical about the idea of finding happiness in any form. Troy buys Gene a drink and they establish a wonderful connection through happiness and the eternal pursuit of it. Unfortunately after getting drunk, Troy hits a pedestrian while driving home.

He thinks he has killed the person so he leaves the scene while sustaining a wound. He feels so guilty about killing this person that he keeps the cut open with a razor to punish himself.Then you have Clea Duvall who is a very talented cleaning lady who gets nothing but criticism from her boss. You also have John Turturro's character Walker who is a college professor who leaves his wife and starts an affair with another woman. Everyone in this film has something to do with happiness. it's the universal idea. We all want some form of happiness. Some find it while others spend their lives hoping for it. This is a brilliant film that manages to show you a large cast of character all looking for something similar. I highly recommend to fans of character drama films like Short Cuts or The Royal Tenenbaums.