Rating: 
Summary: Love it or hate it = rent it before you buy it
Review: You will either love it or hate it. I think it is a Robert Altman wanna be film that ultimately fails to tie everything together. Please rent before you buy and you decide.
Rating: 
Summary: I Loved This Movie
Review: I thought it was a phenominal film...All was well except the beginning and the end. The middle was acceptable. Though there was room for much improvement. Furthermore, it was too long. The performances were so so, I would say the most notable performance came from the blackjack dealer during the opening sequence, kudos to him!!! The rest of the acting was merely average at best. I won't be watching this again anytime soon! However it remains to be one of my favorite films of all time! Comparable to Casablanca and Dude Where's My Car?
Rating: 
Summary: Weird, a little bit of a let down
Review: Magnolia is yet another Dramadys, where it is for the most part a drama but it can be funny in parts. The king of Dramadys has to be As Good As it Gets and the prince is American Beauty. I would have to say that Magnolia, is probably a near relative. Not royalty, more like a rich cousin or something. This movie is so tiringly boring the first third that it is so tempting to completely shut it off all together. But surprisingly, it recovers magnificently. It becomes a moving and powerful film. But you know what? I actually liked the preview for the film better, it makes it look intense and satisfying, while it does pull it off. In the real Preview the one that is over 2 minutes long, it shows ALL of the action that happens in the film. Magnolia really isn't funny at all, it had a couple of jokes, and in jokes that were supposed to be funny, but I didn't laugh. I probably laughed when you weren't supposed to, so I probably screwed it up a little. This film is a shining example of a film, it is a seductive movie, that is powerful and somewhat scary, since all of the issues that happen in this film, could actually happen, in fact some did. I guess that this was a little funny, but not supeier funny. Some of the movie is insulting, and some of the movie is brilliant, but all and all it is a magnificent film, just a pretty good film.
Rating:
Summary: one of the worst ever
Review: This movie is a total piece of...! The director is so self important. The story is even worse than Boogie Nights. Tom Cruise's performance is unimaginative and overrated. The frogs are about the worst thing I have ever seen on film. An absolute joke of a movie. Please, please save your money so as to save yourself 3 hours of agony and hopefully prevent this director from making any more films.
Rating:
Summary: Magnolia is magnificent
Review: 4 stars, not 5 because admittedly it is a long, tough movie to take in one sitting. But you really should see it. P.T. Anderson is one of the few directors out there worthy of the title Auteur. Hitchcock, Scorcese, Tarantino (if he decides to make more)...these guys have their own style like Anderson -- they leave their mark on a film. And so does Wes Andersen, the Wachowski Brothers and David Fincher. They are a new breed of director who don't just make movies, they make films. Watch and you'll notice that Anderson is in full control of MAGNOLIA (he wrote and directed it). He takes long scenes and keeps them interesting by way of great performances and constant motion of the camera. You feel yourself moving through his films as the films move within themselves. MAGNOLIA opens with a fantastic first half hour filled with continuous cameral panning, music overlay and character introduction. It really is one of the most exhilarating openings. The middle may seem bogged down with depressing characters, but his movies are about PEOPLE. You can't gloss over them and succeed. The middle of the film has a musical interlude with Aimee Mann's beautiful song "Wise Up". It plays in its entirety like a music video with the characters singing along. A very nice and unusual touch. The wind-up to the ending is truly uplifting as John C. Reilly's character talks about people and redemption. His monologue ends and the song "Save Me" begins as we see one of MAGNOLIA's troubled characters, Claudia, being talked to about how she IS a good person. The song plays as the camera slowly zooms in on her face, then she looks into the lens and smiles as the screen goes black. It leaves the viewer with hope. Because the movie is about the good in people. And how sometimes you have to look a little deeper. The DVD transfer is flawless. The sound is phenomenal, especially with a film whose music is as integral to the plot as the characters. I know it is a tough 3 hour film to watch -- and 3 hours is a lot to invest in a movie, but if you loved Anderson's BOOGIE NIGHTS, you'll appreciate MAGNOLIA. Cruise IS as good as the critics said, and everyone else surely deserved to be nominated as well. Someday The Academy is going to have to offer a BEST CAST PERMORMANCE award, because Anderson's actors are always at their best.
Rating: 
Summary: A Work of Art
Review: I once had a college dormmate who claimed that Shakespeare's tragedies were "useless" because they were impossible to understand, were peopled by "insane and unlikeable" characters, were too long, and in general, "didn't help anyone to enjoy life." He might have added that they contain gratuitous language, pointless special effects, contrived endings--and besides, Shakespeare stole all of his plots anyway! Now, if you are the kind of person who feels this way about Shakespeare, I would not recommend investing in "Magnolia." However, if instead you value works of art created for the express purpose of helping us to define what it means to be a human being (and in the process entertain us); if you value stories that come from a unitary, somewhat mannered, but obviously original point of view (despite the obvious influences); if you value brilliant acting, masterful editing, philosophical ponderings, plus some sly suspense, dark humor--you get the picture. If you know who you are--or like many Shakespeare fans, are continuing to find out-- then this film, for you, might be a gift.
Rating:
Summary: 'Magnolia' is Magnificent!
Review: "Magnolia" is an incredible array of humanity and human experience, a veritable banquet of sin and forgiveness, of coincidence and synchronicity, of broken dreams and cherished sorrows. It is a gripping masterpiece of a film, with astonishing performances (Tom Cruise is a long way from 'Jerry Macguire' in this flick--it's a disturbing and courageous performance), editing that moves the stories along with breathtaking fluidity, and a remarkable soundtrack that is a character in itself. All the characters have distinct and compellingly grim sagas to witness or to tell--for me, the clearest voice and the narrative thread of the piece comes from John C. Reilly's exquisite performance as the lonely, fragile cop, Jim Kurring. And, if the writer's point of the film is still missed by his audience, he highlights it with an awesome spectacle towards the end of the film, which may confuse some people even more. No spoilers here--just see this monumental testimony to The Human Community. Then, if you would like to discuss this film more, please e-mail me at twillhead@aol.com. Kudos to the brilliant Paul Thomas Anderson. The DVD includes an interesting "backstage" documentary on the making of "Magnolia".
Rating:
Summary: A monumental waste of time
Review: It would be one thing if these stories came together in some logical way. However, after spending THREE HOURS trying to give the director the benefit of the doubt, I was very disappointed. The music is the only redeeming factor about this film, so do yourself a favor and skip the DVD and just buy the soundtrack. And I'd also like an explanation about the frogs. Is it some weak biblical allusion??? If so, where are the locusts???
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant?
Review: How so? Kept waiting for it all to tie in together and just be amazed how it all fits, but it never happened! DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME! RAINING FROGS? C'MON! I can't believe Tom Cruise wasted HIS time with this one, it lowers my opinion of him considerably. If this is the direction the motion picture industry is taking, let me off the train, I'll walk.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant, touching, smart film....
Review: I'm not going to write a lot about this because if you write about anything about this movie you will spoil the plot. This movie is a series of different mini plots that tie into one big picture. There are two people dying, a cop who's having trouble on the job, a drug addict, a game show host (one of the people who are dying), very very intelligent kids, a man who used to be a very intelligent kid, blah blah blah, i could go on for days. This movie does not feel at all like the time duration, and anybody who is panning this film isn't watching it close enough. The writing in this movie even made Tom Cruise seem brilliant, and his speeches in this movie are full of character, they flat out rock. Get this movie buddy. 5 stars/5 The bottom line is this movie is a great insight into the human mind. It shows you what people really are thinking instead of what you think they are thinking.
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