Set in the bustle of Los Angeles, this star-studded Robert Altman cinematic tapestry tells the interlocking stories of a host of characters.
Tapestry is precisely the right word.
Each character is a thread in said tapestry, who contributes to the big picture, interacts with other characters who also contribute to the big picture, but really have no conception as to what the big picture looks like. We see everything that happens to each of the characters in the few days the film spans. This omniscience gives us, the audience, a unique perspective. We can see the series of accidents and chance that change the course of people's lives forever. The characters persevere, try hard to make their lives work.