R. J. Cutler’s patient attention to people at work is worth our time. His move into scripted television with Nashville brings convincing singing and a rivalry with feeling, but also more plotting than either needs.
Fi1m perspective
The singing in Nashville (2012) gives us something solid to believe in. We cared about the central rivalry because Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere made the feeling behind it convincing. Cutler executive-produced the series and directed its first two episodes, bringing an interest in authenticity developed through documentary work. The crowded opening takes some forgiving, but the central pairing gives us a reason to stay.
His documentary career began as producer of The War Room (1993), directed by D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. For The September Issue (2009), he directed and produced an eight-month study of Anna Wintour and the making of a Vogue issue. Small crews and sustained access are central to his method. We value the patience involved in watching someone do a job long enough for their habits to become apparent.
The shift into scripted television brought him together with Nashville writer and co-creator Callie Khouri. The series is worth an evening for its music and performances, but its unnecessary complications keep testing our goodwill. There is already enough feeling in the central rivalry to hold our attention without so much additional plotting. Cutler also directed If I Stay (2014), his first narrative feature, extending the move into fiction.
He has been more flexible in documentary form than the emphasis on observation might suggest. Belushi (2020) uses archival audio and animation; Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry (2021) follows the artist and her family over a year and incorporates phone footage. His recurring collaborators include editor Greg Finton, who has worked with him since 1999.
Trust does bring a risk: a subject comfortable with the crew may also be left insufficiently challenged. The September Issue can be too flattering towards Wintour. Start with Nashville for Britton and Panettiere, provided a few surplus complications will not spoil the singing.
Biography
R. J. Cutler is an American director and producer. He graduated from Harvard University in 1983 and began his career as a theatre director before turning to documentary filmmaking.
Cutler directed and executive produced the pilot and second episode of the television drama series Nashville (2012). His documentary films include The War Room (1993), The September Issue (2009), Belushi (2020) and Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (2021). He also directed the feature film If I Stay (2014).
His work has received two Academy Award nominations and multiple Emmy and Peabody Awards.
