neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
	Jill Sprecher Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, Clea DuVall, Alan Arkin, Amy Irving 2001 Widescreen; closed caption; English, French audio tracks; Spanish, French subtitles; audio commentary by filmmaker Jill Sprecher; theatrical trailer.		As seen in her tidy, intuitive debut feature "Clockwatchers," director Jill Sprecher has an affinity for the tensions and tedium of office life. But the relationship between a maladjusted manager and his contented employee is just one story line in her dexterous second film, "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing." There may be 13 conversations in the film; there's surely more than "one thing" afoot. It could be the nature and the pursuit of happiness or the vagaries of fortune and coincidence, since a lottery ticket and a car accident figure into the scenario. Other issues arise, as the lives of various people — an attorney (Matthew McConaughey), a teacher (John Turturro), a house cleaner (Clea DuVall), the aforementioned office manager (Alan Arkin), etc. — intersect in New York City. Comparisons to interlocked ensemble dramas such as "Magnolia," "Pulp Fiction" and "Amores Perros" are flattering and fitting. It's thought-provoking and vitalized by its grab-bag of able actors including Amy Irving.