Rating: 
Summary: A return to quality film making
Review: A common complaint extended to P.T. Anderson's opus creation "Magnolia" is it's stunning length. This is about where the justification for complaints ends. At a stunning 3 hour and fifteen minute marker, Anderson somehow manages to rope in the lives of ten characters make them interact and give a powerful emotional charge. Cinema as of late has been relying too heavily on the effects laden profit principle. With attention spans limited to fifteen minute segments between commercials it has become more important to remain within boundaries than to traverse them. Anderson does just this. In his script establishes his characters as ghosts. Unlike Boogie Nights (Thank God) he look at the idea of family as a destroyer instead of a bond that ties- and forgiveness as the ultimate form of deliverance from evil. It has been threemonths since I firstlaid eyes on this film andit haunts me still. Brilliant performances by Melora Walters, John C.Reilly and yes even Mr.Cruise,mix the sacred and the profane into a cocktail that is a pleasure to drink. Desperation plays heavily in the film, but somehow you are left with a ssense of hope, and a sense of how chaotic disorder is just part of the game. The direction is flawless, Anderson has an incredible eye and his sense of cinematic irony is bar none. His script is something of literature,uncomprimising in the oppurtunities,they give in gettinginside each character's head. Also his use of biblical referenceis deeper than somemay gather fromteh frogs-the ten main (some are lesser than others) characters, play outcasts, ofgrace-like the lost tribes of Israel not many will catch this nod to biblical history- and John Steinbeck, however it isrepresentativeof how in tune Anderson is as a writer and director. He will not dumb a movie down for the sake mass appeal.He is a filmaker- not just a director and he is a dying breed This is what a film is about- not indiglo moments- or cgi eye candy. This is a story about ten people all are lost and they just want to find a way home. Ladies and gentlemen, please recognize the first of a new crop of directors- and know Anderson has come to stay.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece of Movie-making!
Review: Magnolia was magnificent - as if on a sprawling canvas of celluloid, painter P.T. Anderson has given us a masterpiece. (It was no coincidence that the Academy Awards snubbed this film - it simply had too much depth and breadth.) Considering the 2 films last year dealing with somewhat similar subject matter - the dysfunction in our families, hence society - "Magnolia" makes "American Beauty" look like kindergarten. Its rich and complex look at the lives of a handful of folks living in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley give the art of screenwriting and character development it's due. The performances, all of them, are intricate and flawless. The story is riveting and complex, and contrary to what the first reviewer said about the film's "freak natural" phenomenon - it is not natural and is not intended to be taken as such. The whole point of the film from beginning to end - is that there is too much Meaning and Purpose evident in life for events to be termed "accidental," "random" or "freak natural." Without giving away the amazing ending - see it for yourself! - Anderson's entire point is that we should look beyond "nature," finally, for our answers.
Rating: 
Summary: A self-congratulatory waste of time
Review: I highly disliked this movie and rather begrudge PT Anderson for making something so bad for me to sit through. The movie is absolutely bursting with "artistic" elements, but overall they do more to obscure the main themes than they do to clarify them. Furthermore, there does not there seem to be any reason for them to be in the movie other than the intellectual self-gratification of the movie's creators. I found no sympathy with the main characters, who, for the most part, spent the movie wallowing in self-pity only to have all their problems solved by a contrived and completely nonsensical ending.
Rating:
Summary: Directly to our minds and hearts
Review: The movie starts and you're caught in the stories that life can offer for us to know, and with the hand of liitle more than genious Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia offers you the chance to experience sweet, sour, devastating, funny, dramatic moments in the life of some people one rainy day in San Fernando Valley. Magistral performances. Excellent dialogue. Refreshing yet classical direction. All this and much, much more is magnolia. A three hour rollercoaster of emotions driven by the unexplicable human behavior in a mosaic of characters as big and as little as our lives. Claudia Gator- A junkie carrying the burden of a great secret on her shoulders. Mellorah Walters performance is magnificent. Laughing, crying or screaming, Mellorah manages to capture Claudia's constant desire to be saved and loved. Jim- One of the last genuine good people left in San Fernando and the world, jim's only wish is to help people and find someone to love. Tough sometimes ingenuous jim manages to make you beleive in his good intensions towards others. One day someone or something hears his call and he meets claudia and he's not willing to let this pass by. john c reilly's performance could not be better. jimmy Gator- Phillip Baker Hall is superb displaying an amazing dominium of his experienced actor skills. A regular family man, famous host of the most popular tv show ''what do kids know?''. however our whole opinion and view of this character will change when he makes his final confession to his wife. Claudia's secret is then revealed and so is jimmy and our minds and judmental side start to interact with this complex characters. Donnie Smith-A former child star of jimmy's show William H Macy's character has a crush on a young bar tender and his idea of getting him is as human as can be. The whole character is defined with his great dialogue. ''I really do have love to give. I just dont know where to put it.'' Stanley Spector-the new star of jimmy's show. Stanley the boy genious has all the answers in his head except why is his father that way to him?. Why can't he be nicer to him?. As complex as the father who sees in his son the chance to do what he couldn't. Stanley's greatest moment is when he stands before his father and simply says "You need to be nicer to me dad". Linda Partridge-julianne Moore, truly one of the best actreses of our time. In constant pain for marrying her husband out of money and realizing now that she loves him, only to discover that he is dying. Linda partridge's constant euphoria is expressed when at a drug store the whispers and comments of the clerk on account of all the medicine she buys really sets her off. "Have you seen death on your bed?" she asks him with a look that says more than her vivid words. Earl Partridge- As he describes him self, he doesnt want to be an old man dying on a bed trying to get a hold of the lost son, he hates that idea, but he hates it the most because that is just what he is. Its at the final moments of his life when he realizes how human he was and that is painful to him. Frank T. J Mackey- Tom Cruise's greatest performance so far, another great character with a big secret about his past. a secret that would only make him look week and vulnerable, something not convenient for a Self motivation sex-guru known all over the country by his famous dogma "seduce and destroy". Cruise's succeds at capturing how uncomfortable we can get at a conversation when we are exposed. In his case, his past is revealed in front of the cameras by a reporter. Cruise's performance at these scenes is just amazing. Phil Parma- Earl's nurse, phil feels that he has the need to help earl's final whish come true and he works as a channel for it. phillip seymour hoffman's performance is remarkable even in the little scenes. Not knowing how to find this tv guru, phill does everything he can to find frank, from going thru the phone book, checking playboy channels and calling pink dot to buy dirty magazines. These scenes are also great. All these characters get in touch and into our lives thru magnolia. Right at the end, when things are falling down, when we're reaching the black holes life sometimes has, when we feel we cannot take it anymore. All we need is a little bit of perspective. And Phill Parma says "oh my god there are frogs falling from the sky" And indeed they are, on one of the most irreverent and beautiful scenes of cinema. and if to this you add aimee mann's bitter/sweet songs you will not be dissapointed. All in all magnolia is a great piece of cinema and something is garanteed, at some point even if its just a second, you will see your self there at San Fernando valley one rainy day. adrian3030@swissinfo.org
Rating:
Summary: My favorite film of all time
Review: It's hard to express exactly what I feel about this film. I've only watched it a couple of times (though I own the DVD, and I think I might pop it in this weekend)...but already it has left its mark on me. No other film I've ever seen had such an inspiring, emotional effect on me personally - now, I'm a college student, a guy, and it's hard for me to get emotional about anything. Boogie Nights had been my favorite (and yep, I picked up the 2-disc Platinum series of that the same time I bought Magnolia), but after only two viewings I know I'll probably never come across another film that provokes such an emotional response. I think Paul Thomas Anderson is a genius. Hard Eight was a beautiful small-scale, slowly paced film; Boogie Nights was the antithesis, a brilliant, rocking ride; and he's finally acheived true cinematic greatness with Magnolia. It takes a lot of effort to remember you're watching actors. That's how much the performances meant to me. Because they're so believable, you develop a large personal insterest in the characters, so it's easy to become emotional while watching the film. "Wise up" might have been the single most beautiful sequence I have ever seen put to film. I guess it might be unusual for a college guy to get emotional while watching a movie, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I cried every time this sequence comes up... The DVD is also excellent. I was disappointed when I first heard there was no commentary (because PT Anderson is so great with them; check out his own Hard Eight and Boogie Nights). I later learned that he didn't want to do a commentary track, and do you really want three hours of something that would be so forced and intermittent given the circumstances? Instead we're given a 75-minute documentary which is a fantastic profile into the development and production of the film. It's a perfect compliment to the film. In addition to the documentary, you get the Frank T.J. Mackey seminar (I really have to try the "you know exactly what you did" bit some time...), a Mackey infomercial, the music video to Aimee Mann's Save Me (directed by Anderson), and over a dozen trailers and teasers. And check out those color bars; the outtakes are great. The moments with Luis Guzman at the quiz show table and John C. Reilly during the "Wise Up" sequence are good for some great belly laughs. Maybe the DVD extras as they stand are the perfect commentary to the film. Kudos to New Line for putting together such a comprehensive experience which goes so far beyond the film; along with the new Boogie Nights set (also fantastic), they're right up there with Criterion in my book). Big congratulations to P.T. Anderson for another masterpiece. It's going to be nearly impossible to top this one, but don't count him out. He's surprised me every time he's made a film yet. This may be the best film you'll ever see. Or you might hate it. But you're doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Very odd, yet interesting movie.............
Review: Magnolia was a very interesting movie. I went too see because of the collection of excellent actors involved. The movie revolved around a handful of people in southern California. Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is a TV mogul dying of cancer and is cared by his faithful nurse (Philip Seymour Hoffman); Julianne Moore is Earl's wife who in turn is guilt-ridden because she loved him for his fame and money. Earl's nurse tries to get in touch with his only son Frank (Tom Cruise) a slimy sex guru who gives advice on how to use women. The game show whiz kid Stanley (Jeremy Blackman) loathes being the cashcow for his demanding father and the former game show whiz kid Donnie (William Macy) has become a social outcast who lives off his name. The host of the game show Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) is dying of cancer and wants to mend the failed relationship with his coke-addicted daughter (Melora Walters). She, in the meantime has a relationship with the slow-witted police officer (John Reilley). I though Paul Thomas Anderson did a fantastic job juggling characters and making me think how they're lives are linked through consequence. I though Tom Cruise and Paul Thomas Anderson deserved an Oscar. I found the acting incredibly strong and convincing. Unfortunately half of the people in the theatre did'nt share my opinion and walked out during the movie. The movie clocks over 3 hours and you need an open mind to enjoy the movie. I would strongly recommend this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: An introduction for me, to Aimee Mann
Review: The movie itself is a bit too melodramatic and "self-congratulatory", as others have said. However, I own the soundtrack, and THAT is something worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT MOVIE- BUT HERE'S A DVD REVIEW
Review: I always like to write about the extras because I figure that's what most people buy dvds for anyway. The documentary is definately solid and gives us an exhausting look on the grueling work behind the making of the film. After 60 days into shooting, Paul Thomas Anderson looks like he's on his last rung, but keeps on striving with inspirational determination. He's a funny guy who can't control his swearing sometimes, but he's the kind of director that gets right into the action of each shot, wanting to be right there with the character- a real intimate style. I soo much wish there was a commentary like Anderson's other dvds cuz that's really what I enjoy the most. I was pretty peeved that they re-released Boogie Nights with a better edition and expanded commentary- yeesh, can't they stick to one special platinum or criterion- I'd like to buy one movie once. Whine whine, oh well. They'll probably re-release this one too. The music video, tv spots, trailers and stuff are cool, but I'd like to note there's no deleted scenes-at least not that I can tell unless it's hidden, which I doubt. Only mildly disappointed because I wanted this beautiful film to be in my collection anyway, but you figure for two disks they could've crammed in a little more. I'd like to recommend, "Hard Eight" aka "Sydney", which was Anderson's first film and also is an excellent dvd purchase. Oh yeah, the picture and sound was very good- no problem there.
Rating:
Summary: Magnolia, a Beautiful Work of Art
Review: Wow. That is the only word that comes to my mind after seeing this film multiple times. I thought P.T. Anderson was a great filmmaker when I saw Boogie Nights but this film solidifies his Place as one of the most brilliant directors working today. His incredible visual style, his knack for writing about everyday people, and his sense of humor shine in this movie. I feel that the characters in this movie are real, he gives them the little idiosynchroces that make characters memorable. The story takes place during one rainy day in L.A. A half dozen desparete stories of lonely people unfold through the course of the film. At first glance they may seem to be unrelated, but closer detail reveals them to be part of a larger story involving cancer, game shows, and freak natural phenomenon(which by the way can really happen and has). This film isn't for everyone but if your'e interested in watching an incredibly beautiful, funny, strange, wonderful work of art, watch this movie
Rating:
Summary: Overwhelming.
Review: The main purpose of this film is to warn people from the dire personal consequences of unfaithfulness. It argues that betraying the ones that trust you is - more than anything else - betraying yourself. Some of the characters in "Magnolia" are agonizing their infidelities, cheatings and betrayals - not because they got caught - but because their conscious is eating them alive. One character reaches the point in which she can't live with herself anymore. It doesn't matter how much time one manages to suppress and silence the haunting thoughts; they will eventually come to get the best of him. And even if he's managed to live in total denial - they will grab a hold of him on his deathbed. People that are involved in such acts will feel extremely uneasy watching this movie, people that are on the brink of engaging in such acts would probably think twice, and people that are not even in the surrounding areas - for the time being - will try harder to fight and avoid them. If the above materializes - the movie has fulfilled its goal. There's a beautiful and amazingly fitting song near the end of the movie, "Wise up", and it's chorus is sung by all the characters in an overpowering climax: "It's not going to stop, it's not going to stop till you wise up". In the context of this motion picture - its significance becomes crystal clear.
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