Rating: 
Summary: An intense emotional experience with a few flaws
Review: This three hour film of several intersecting stories regarding various tortured parent-child relationships set in modern California has some good things going for it.The directing by Paul Thomas Anderson (of Boogie Nights fame) is superb. He knows just where to cut, just where to add tension, just when to do a close up probing a character's deepest feelings. The acting was outstanding. The entire cast, including Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy and John C. Reiley were great. Each part was meaty, giving the actor ultimate opportunity to showcase his or her ability. It's as if the writer wanted to create good roles, and he certainly did. Specifically, the roles for aging men were outstanding. The music was well used too, sometimes introduced discordantly, creating and enhancing the several themes. In spite of its length, the movie wasn't boring as the audience kept craving more and more of the unfolding several stories which were character driven and intense with startling changes that kept me wide eyed and interested, However (and this is a big however), there were a few elements that just didn't work. There was a complicated introduction and ending which was supposed to illustrate coincidence and destiny which left me puzzled as to why it was there. I never was able to figure out why the movie was titled "Magnolia". And, after all the buildup and tension and fine acting performances, about three quarters into the movie, all the characters broke into a song which was totally out of place. From then, it was downhill all the way -- with a startling unexpected climax that came out of the blue with no foreshadowing and made no sense whatsoever. This film is an intense emotional experience and will undoubtedly have several well-deserved Academy Award nominations. Too bad it just doesn't hold together. Recommended for film buffs for some of the aspects that are nothing short of pure genius. But if you're looking for a story that makes sense, and a feeling of completeness, stay away.
Rating: 
Summary: Mozart was never popular during his lifetime...
Review: I highly recommend purchasing this DVD, especially if you consider yourself a serious film person. There is a 75-minute documentary included on the second DVD that will teach you just as much about film making as a class at USC. My opinion: Magnolia is one of the greatest and most important films ever made. It breaks all conventions, it writes its own rule-book, and it demands you to accept it upon its own terms. Magnolia is nothing short of a masterpiece, and like all art that is ahead of its time, it will take decades for the film to be widely appreciated. As I listen to some critics harp on about the length and self-indulgence of the film (like it's a bad thing!), I am reminded of dialogue from the film "AMADEUS": Mozart: So then, you liked it? You really liked it, sire? King: Well, of course I did! It's very good! Of course now and then... just now and then... it seemed a touch... Mozart: What do you mean, sire? King: Well, I mean, occasionally, it seems to have... Oh, how shall one say... How shall one say, Direktor? Direktor: Too many notes, your Majesty. King: Exactly. Very well put. Too many notes. Mozart: I don't understand. There are just as many notes, your Majesty, as are required, neither more, nor less. King: My dear fellow, there are in fact only so many notes one can hear in an evening. I think I'm right in saying that, aren't I, Court Composer? Salieri: Yes. On the whole, yes Majesty. Mozart: This is absurd. King: My dear young man, don't take it so hard. Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. There are simply too many notes. Just cut a few and it'll be perfect. Mozart: Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?
Rating: 
Summary: Worth seeing but not all that compelling
Review: Anderson is obviously a very talented director and the performances in this film are all quite good but the interweaving stories never really moved me at all, despite the fact they they were obviously supposed to. The opening sequence is very original and brilliant, though, and it's beautifully shot all the way through. I'd defintitely recommend seeing it but I'd be surpirsed to find anyone truly blown away by it.
Rating:
Summary: What Do Kids Know Indeed!
Review: "Magnolia" is the latest film by P.T. Anderson,a director whose previous "Boogie Nights" was one of the most exciting pieces of American cinema to come around since Tarantino.I didn't know what to expect from "Magnolia"-the commercials were rather vague and even the glowing reviews didn't give too much away-but I was not prepared to experience what was the best and most powerful film of the year."Magnolia",like "Boogie Nights" is directed in a restless but controlled kinetic style that is as thrilling to watch as it intelligent in its organization-every camera movement and editing is not just there as an empty tour de force-the camera's 360 degree panning and frequent crosscutting unite the seemingly disparate stories and subtly reveals its theme as the character's connections to one another become clearer.And the theme of "Magnolia" is the awful things that parents do to children("What Do Kids Know",the quiz show that pits adults against children is perfectly emblematic of this)and the final healing that only can take place when the cancer that both literally and figuratively consumes(and in this film you are actually shown the cancer) is itself healed by love(symbolically,the magnolia-a flower believed to be able to cure cancer).The film's dramatis personae is quite impressive-a dying powerful television producer-whose past of adultery,abandonment and neglect catches up with him only to realize some home truths too late;his golddigging drug addict young wife-tormented by guilt and her own transgressions;his estranged repellent son-whose only means of attaining power is establishing a self-empowerment program called "Seduce and Destroy",which teaches men to look at women as only holes to be penetrated-only to be seduced and destroyed himself by a lovely interviewer gently confronting him with the truth;the gentle and self-effacing nurse,one of the few good characters in the film who consistently in his own awkward way tries to help;the child prodigy competing in the producer's game show-used and taken advantage of by a father who only sees him as a cash cow-ultimately protesting his objectification during a humiliating episode on the quiz show-an unforgettable nightmarish scene done with bravura;a former child prodigy now grown up-lost and hopeless from his own mistreatment by his own parents; the popular quiz show host-in denial of his own abusiveness,literally dying on his own show;his junkie daughter-wasted and running from her past,but capable of inspiring love in a naive police officer;that police officer-a religious,nice, unassuming man-trying to find love and respect in this pathological world.The daring ending with its Biblical overtones ,seems to be as if even nature itself was in revolt against the stupid and harmful things people do to each other.My personal favorite scene is the one where the major protagonists quietly sing Aimee Mann's "Wise Up",a scene in lesser hands which would have come across as silly,is exhilarating as it triumphant in Anderson's power to create the unforgettable.The large cast is so well acted and has been nominated and won so many awards, that there is no need to single out anybody-with the exception of the little-known Melora Walters,whose performances in "Boogie Nights" and this film are so strong,we should be hearing more about her in the future.The only complaint I have is that the film ended-of course I know not everybody will feel the same about this harsh,challenging film-but can't that be said for all great art?What an experience.
Rating:
Summary: It's long, but man is it powerful.
Review: People who watch 'Magnolia' seem to be seperated into two catagories. A: They watch it, and they fall in love with it or B: They watch it, and say "This is confusing, boring, vulgar, long, pointless, long, and long'. So what does this prove? That 'Magnolia' is a masterpiece and that whoever doesn't like it just doesn't 'get it'? Or maybe Magnolia fans, while adament, are a little misguided and a little too awe-struck with a just-ok movie? Nope to both. It just proves that 'Magnolia' isn't for everyone, and if Jimmy Gator can be forgiven, so can non-fans. As you can tell by my rating, I am in the 'A' catagory. I was instantly taken by the multiple characters, original storylines, and breakneck opening sequence. All I ask is for people to try it out, because it packs a great message with some wonderful cinematography and acting.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, spellbinding--Even with its flaws
Review: There are the three hours of running time, the group sing-along and the raining amphibians to contend with, of course. There's the question of Tom Cruise's performance, as well, undeniably forceful, yet a touch shrill and mannered for my taste. Yet, even with the excesses and the one or two story-lines that careen into a dead-end, I'm in awe of this picture. PT Anderson, America's finest young filmmaker, worked on two excellent movies before this (I'm especially impressed with "Boogie Nights"), but who could have expected such an awesome, ambitious, utterly outrageous monster like "Magnolia" on only his third try? It was brazen enough to cop his narrative framework whole from Robert Altman (cf. "Nashville", "Short Cuts", etc.). To up the stakes with a climactic plot device directly out of Exodus was audacious beyond belief and, whether it works or not, you can't fault the guy for laziness or lack of vision. Indeed, this is a visionary work of art, one that gazes directly at the tempest of modern life (and death) without flinching. I'm still not sure, despite all the ink that's been spilled on the subject, if the "plague of frogs" is there to suggest that human lives are governed by Fate (aka God) or that coincidences and freak occurences simply happen, devoid of any meaning or motive, and that we must simply note and embrace them. Perhaps, the director-writer wasn't even sure himself. At the very least, he had me thinking about such things, which is a rare accomplishment for a "mainstream" American movie these days. I have to wonder if there's a stronger actress than Julianne Moore currently gracing the screen. She's absoltuely stunning here, in what must have been a quite challenging role. The sequence where she faces down a pair of meddling pharmacists is itself worth the price it will cost to rent or buy this film. The fact that she's matched strengh for strength by a huge ensemble cast that includes John C. Reilly, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Melora Walters, Phillip Baker Hall, Melinda Dillon, William H. Macy and the great Jason Robards only reaffirms what was obvious from Anderson's previous two outings: He's a great actor's director, capable of coaxing strong performances from even mediocre talent (ie. Gwenyth Paltrow's haunting portrayal in "Hard Eight"). Whatever its failings and however self-indulgent it can, at times, be, I find this a profound film, rich with the details and textures or real life. That Aimee Mann's marvelous songs take such a central role is only icing on the cake. See this movie for yourself--you may love it, you may hate it, but it will make you think.
Rating: 
Summary: Overlong and Overrated!
Review: Anderson's post "Boogie Nights" effort is nothing more than a film without a point. "Magnolia" is marred by overlength and unappealing characters, whose stories Anderson desperately tries to intersect while tossing in a few biblical references. Let's hope that Mr. Anderson can find a better reason to use his favorite actors than this overrated, trite piece of cinema.
Rating: 
Summary: OH What promise-- Oh what a mess!
Review: This movie ranks as one of the biggest failures ever. After sitting through 2.5 hours of helter skelter excitement, I turned to my wife, and said "This movie could now end a million different ways". I think any one of these million ways would have been OK- But the makers of this movie chose number 1,000,001. The entire frog thing is someone on the director or producer seat with a drug fantasy, or perhaps they wanted to laugh at the silly people like me who rented it. Unless you revel in the absurd, please don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Long, But Not Great
Review: Paul Thomas Anderson (going by the too-cute, all lower case "p.t. anderson" in Magnolia's credits)is both a wonderful writer and director. I loved both "Hard Eight," and "Boogie Nights," in which he managed to wring an interesting performance out of drab Mark Wahlberg. "Magnolia" is a much longer movie than either of the previous two and arguably a grander one, but it misses the bull's eye. There is an assortment of interesting characters, who deliver at times great, wholly unique believeable lines ("It IS safe to confuse children with angels!"), but the characters' problems don't show us all that much new about being human, or about their own lives. This film is not so much character-driven as it is emotions-driven. For over three hours, we see characters agonize their way through their day. Anderson wrings every awful emotion out of his characters that he can. The scenes, the acting, the drama become simply too overwrought. John Reilly's understated performance gives the film a certain amount of ballast, but not enough. Philip Baker Hall, too, is great, as usual. His confusion, regret, sense of loss are perfectly pitched...without the breast-beating hysteria that characterizes most of this movie. Tom Cruise is painful to watch. His character is too obnoxious, too dishonest, too unwholesome for us to care when he finally experiences his "human moment." The ending--I won't give it away--has its basis in, if I recall, a turn-of-the-century rural legend (which perhaps isn't a legend...), but, like the rest of the movie, it's overdone. Overall, there simply isn't enough in this movie to justify either its excessive length, or the soap-operatic emoting that goes on. Everyone doesn't have to weep and tear his clothes to convey powerful emotion. (Just watch "Remains of the Day" for proof of this.)
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Very moving, sometimes darkly disturbing film. It is a real thought provoker. Just as in real life, sometimes you find it difficult to witness but somehow - at the end - glad you did. It ranks right up there with some of my favorites such as Gandhi, Reds, Dances with Wolves - a real epic with absolutely wonderful performances by all. I had the feeling that all the actors were very proud to be chosen for this one. They should be.
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