Rating: 
Summary: Visually stunning film!
Review: I loved this movie. It deals with so much that it probably could have been divided into several different films. I find that movies that have a lot of characters and a lot of factors involved are among the best. Unfortunately it did not win Best Picture even though it is a more powerful film that American Beauty was. Of course you're going to hear in other reviews how the ending sequence was stupid while I tend to disagree. How else would these people have been brought together? A very different and original way for a climax of a film and I can guarantee you that you will think that it is very cool. I also loved the way the film was directed.
The DVD however was a bit of a downer compared to other 2-disc Platinum Series DVD's like Se7en. There's around 100 minutes of bonus material but no commentary which would have been very interesting. I guess the 75 minute documentary takes its place. Other recommendations: Vanilla Sky & Boogie Nights.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENTAY
Review: I don't usually do movie reviews because I'm not a movie critic but I can say this: Magnolia is a masterpiece. I love ensemble pictures anyway and this is such: A collection of tragic lives...but it's not all sad. There's definitely some resolution in this film. The frog scene is the perfect catharsis to all of the misery, then comes the healing. All the performances are brilliant. The music is heavenly. The DVD has lots of little gems from the "Search and Destroy" empire (must-see, simply hilarious). The documentary of the making of Magnolia was fascinating to watch too. I always like to see what goes on in the filmmaking process. You get to see the actors being themselves too which is nice.
Rating:
Summary: THE SECOND CHANCE KID
Review: Okay, here's the deal: I first saw "Magnolia" in the theater and hated it. By the time I left the multiplex, my patience was gone (typical multiplex experience), my butt was numb (ditto), and my head hurt. It is this last which made me buy the DVD on pure impulse when it first hit the shelves. It has since become one of my favorite movies and is one which I definitely recommend one see at home as opposed to in the theater. Why? One word: Intermission. Paul Anderson probably would've won my immediate and undying respect had he given the audience a bit of a breather. I mean, let's face it, nobody enjoys sitting in a multiplex seat for over three hours. Older films such as "Dr. Zhivago" and "Once Upon a Time In America," to name just two, seemed to understand this. At home you can (and should) take at least one fifteen minute break. I recommend this not only for the opportunity it offers to get one's head together but because it will allow you to discuss the film with whoever you happen to be watching it with or at least give some thought to what is being said and what is being done if you happen to be on your own. Trying to take in all of "Magnolia" in one uninterrupted sitting is like trying to take in a five course meal without a break. Does it look good? Absolutely! Taste good? Absolutely! Leave you feeling so stuffed you feel like you're about to go into cardiac arrest? Absolutely! Hopefully Mr. Anderson will take a lesson next time and go ahead and tack on an extra ten or fifteen minutes to allow his audience a chance at some digestion.
Rating: 
Summary: Brass Ones
Review: P.T. Anderson has created one of the most compelling films in the last two decades with his MAGNOLIA. Having been pleasantly surprised by HARD EIGHT (due mostly to John C. Reilly's wonderful characterization), and stunned by BOOGIE NIGHTS, I was amped for the release of MAGNOLIA. Why I didnt' go see it in the theatre is beyond me (too busy I guess, and now I regret not making time for it), but it was one of the first DVDs I rented after I got my player, and now I am happy to say I own it. Of course, there's nothing knew about this type of storytelling, Altman has been doing it for years (most magically in SHORT CUTS), but what is amazing is the depth of the characters and story here. Not that Altman doesn't have deep stories or characters, but Anderson was just a 29-year old "kid" when he made this film. I feel a bit meek pondering this, as I'm a year older than him. Anyway, Anderson fleshes out each character, with the help of some brilliant acting (John C. Reilly is again a stand-out to me), and inspired moments. I'd heard about the frogs before I saw the movie, but was still surprised when they finally arrived. Beyond that, each story line is compelling, and interweaved with a delightful abandon, I love the opening five minutes with its frantic pace. As I said the acting is brilliant, with one exception; why Tom Cruise got all the notice and accolades for his performance is beyond me. Yes, it's a stretch for him, but I don't feel he pulled it off. When I watch the movie I believe in all the other characters, but when Cruise is on the screen I think, "There's Tom Cruise ACTING like a sleazebag." Philip Seymour Hoffman, Reilly, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, and Jason Robards deserve the credit Cruise received. My hat's off to Anderson for this epic undertaking, and I look forward to his next. Only four stars because of my Cruise embargo.
Rating:
Summary: not for people with short attention spans
Review: Sure, the movie is long, but it is COMPOSED beautifully as two halves....Yes, the first half of the movie is painfully slow, but the culmination of the movie and the drama interwoven throughout the characters would mean little without it. Yes, this is an actor's dream (and maybe an Arnold Schwarzenegger recurring nightmare), but it is not just a study in acting. Granted, this is a difficult movie to pace but it is done masterfully with an unbelievable score and soundtrack. If only Aimee Mann could act. The characters in this complex, sordid affair are tragic and lovable. William H. Macy is one of the most underrated actors around. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a star, and John C. Reilly is - almost by accident - both funny and very real in any movie that he's in. Paul Thomas Anderson is a brilliant director, and possibly an even better screenwriter. He will win two or three Oscars before he's done.
And to the people who hated this film - I'm glad that your lives have been perfect, otherwise you would've gotten this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Well-Reviewed Movie I Didn¿t Like.
Review: April 6, 2002 This P.T. Anderson fellow is getting on my nerves. He
seels to write with no other intent but to film "actor's
movies." Granted, he seems to be filming them well enough
to impress the critics, but he's not making them for audiences.
At least, not the audience I saw 'Boogie Nights' with, not so
far as I could tell. If he was making his movies for audiences, he'd be a
little more interested in pace and plotting. (I've watched
Ozu and Antonioni, so don't say I don't have the chops to
watch a film that takes its time and lives within itself.)
I sincerely hope that the critics out there stop
encouraging Mr. Anderson. He seems to think he's developing
an individual "style", when, in fact, he's only indulging
himself. I'm sure it's possible to enjoy 'Magnolia' and 'Boogie
Nights' and 'Hard Eight.' I can't. It always feels to me
like I'm watching acting class. There are great actors
in 'Magnolia' (and a few mediocre ones), but a great acting
class is still only acting class. One more thing. Tom Cruise, I've become convinced, is
the reincarnation of Lillian Gish. He has her acting style
down to perfection. ("One more take with a little something
for the back rows, Mr. Griffith?") After watching this, I suspect P.T. Anderson might be
better suited to television (that is, if the restrictions
of a single cast and setting wont hamper his "genius").
Certainly I'm glad I never saw 'Magnolia' in a theatre. PEOPLE WHO'LL LIKE THIS MOVIE: indie-boosters, acting
enthusiasts.
PEOPLE WHO WONT LIKE THIS MOVIE: anyone even partially
sensitive to intense narcissism.
Rating: 
Summary: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD!!!!!!!
Review: This is the worst movie ever! i loved Boogie Nights and then Paul Thomas Anderson comes out with the worst movie ever! I hated it. When frogs where raining I felt like cutting my own arm of with a butter knife. I dont care what he was trying to symboliz, it was ridiculous. This movie was so long and slow, i dont see anyone being able to pay attention. i love movies, and usually can stay entertained by Teletubbies, but this movie was ridculous. If you are reading this review dont ever rent this movie......ever! I'm serious. This is not ingenious, or profound...It's just plain dumb. Dont try to find any connections between anything cuz they are none. You mind as well rent "Trucks" or "Leprechan 4:in space." the story line just might be better in those.
Rating:
Summary: Ambitious, mesmerizing, challenging
Review: With the sprawling and ambitious Magnolia, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson establishes himself as one of the most gifted film makers of his generation. Over three hours long, the movie will prove too much for some viewers, but I found this look at a day in the lives of some San Fernando Valley residents to be fascinating. Some of the characters' lives are interconnected to other characters, while others are connected in only coincidental ways. The movie spends a lot of time dealing with the differences between coincidence and fate. Jim [John C. Reilly] is a cop who earnestly tries to do good. He is desperate to be loved, and when he meets Rose Gator [Melinda Dillon] during a domestic disturbance call, he is seemingly oblivious to her problems, which include drug addiction and a lot of mental conflicts. Rose hates her father Jimmy [Philip Baker Hall] with a passion bordering on the homicidal. Jimmy is the host of the longest running game show in TV history. He has recently been told he has two months to live and is trying to right some of the wrongs he has done to his wife and daughter. The show is called What Do Kids Know? and it pits three kids against three adults. The current child contestants are close to setting a money record, led by Stanley [Jeremy Blackman], an eleven year old who is miserable because he knows he is nothing but a freak to the audience and a meal ticket to his father. Across town, Donnie [William H. Macy], who was a champ on the show thirty years ago, is trying to make some sense of his life, which has gone downhill ever since his short experience with fame. The show's producer, Earl Partridge [Jason Robards], is also dying in his luxurious home, tended to by a wonderfully altruistic nurse, Phil [Philip Seymour Hoffman], who will do anything to grant the man's dying wish, which is to see his estranged son, Frank [Tom Cruise]. Frank long ago changed his name and has become wealthy by creating a very odd self-help program, which claims to give men control over women... Magnolia was passed over at the Oscars this year, though there are a number of award winning performances. Of particular note are those of Julianne Moore and Tom Cruise. I never thought I'd be saying this, by Cruise really should have won Best Supporting Actor. Much has been made of the movie's startling and unconventional ending. I thought it was perfect, though many people disagree. I will note that there are clues all though the film that tell you that the event depicted will probably occur.
Rating:
Summary: An epic picture
Review: It's hard to know where to begin with 'Magnolia', the Paul Thomas Anderson modern classic. Basically it's a sprawling drama which takes place over one day and looks at a variety of different characters that are in some slight way linked to one another. Yes this is one of those movies, obviously inspired by Robert Altman, that takes a look at 'life' and what changes it. Although each story is linked there are three main stories which the cast centre around. Firstly there's a dying man (Robards), secondly there's the participants of a game show and lastly there's a police officer and a drug addict. It starts off incredibly well, explaining what exactly effects our lives, be it coincidence, chance or divine intervention. Then the movie glides in and out of these people's lives, which seem to be falling apart as they wonder where things all went wrong and how to get back on track. Although at parts this can be sad and depressing and the movie as a whole could easily be called pretentious in its efforts to contain the meaning of life in three hours. Yet it's so gloriously entertaining, moving and beautifully acted that it definitely stands out as one of the best movies of recent years. Being a series of vignettes every watcher is bound to find some stories more interesting than others but as a whole this is really a superb piece of cinema. Even in their relatively small roles the actors are absolutely superb. The three that really do impress thought are Julianne Moore as a woman on the edge, Jason Robards as a dying man and Tom Cruise playing what is undoubtedly his best role as a insprirational speaker. To anyone who thought that Cruise was just a pretty face, 'Magnolia' shows that he is not only capable of being a great comedic actor but also one that can really emote. The soundtrack is almost completely made up of Aimee Mann tracks, which Paul Thomas Anderson even claims to have based the movie on. Listening to the tracks this certainly makes sense, with Mann's tracks at times giving things a lighter tone and at times suggesting the emotional trauma that the characters are going through. Indeed, what is one of the film's best points is that it does have a number of small characters that are genuinely funny and help stop it all getting bogged down in its serious tone. This is one movie that is absolutely gorgeous and extremely involving, although probably not to everyone's taste, especially if you are offended by bad language.
Rating:
Summary: All movies should be this fun
Review: What else can you say? Even though filmmaking can be a tedious process (I got stressed just trying to make a 30 minute movie to try to get into NYU Film School), it seems there was never a dull moment during the making of this. All performances are top notch, the best of all being that of former pretty boy turned damn fine actor Tom Cruise. Here's a guy who everyone pegged as just anotehr pretty face to guarantee big box office turnover who has taken everyone, including me, by surprise. Ever since I saw him in RAIN MAN, I knew this guy was going to be an actually decent actor. Then came JERRY MAGUIRE, and my suspicions were confirmed. Cruise doesn't disappoint here as womanizing Frank Mackey, busy running a seminar called "seduce and destroy" to teach other men his secrets of seduction. Of course there is much more to the film than this, but I'm just focusing on Tommy boy here cos he absolutely blew me away in this role. His scene by the bed with his dad is absolutely gut-wrenching. This is one you don't wanna miss. FEaturing many wonderful songs by former Til Tuesday girl Aimee Mann, the soundtrack is also money well spent.
|
