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Summary: spoiler patrol
Review: If you're interested in seeing this brilliant and riveting intertwining of lost and pained souls, then don't read most of the reviews here.
The film has an awesomely disorienting scene toward the end that will be totally ruined for you by some of these reviews.
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Summary: Unfolding Petals
Review: This is unlike any other Anderson movie; really, it's unlike any other other kinda movie either, and a possibly-necessary antidote for those of us who feel more and more alienated by modern life & culture. Since there are already a kazillion reviews of this I won't rehash the plot except to say that it's about one "ordinary" day when all the buried/masked/diverted/denied pain of the world comes welling up, like a dam bursting, refusing to remain unacknowledged any longer. The apocalyptic finale may not make a lick of "sense", but it feels inevitable and right and it plays perfectly. The ensemble cast is uniformly inspired, and savagely underscores the stupidity of Oscars and Golden Globes....singling out an outstanding performance here is akin to taking apart a perfectly-calibrated Swiss watch in order to praise one particular gear. One further point: you hear a lot about Anderson's "audacity" and "ambition" in discussions of MAGNOLIA. It's true but that ambition has less to do with juggling interlocking subplots, and more to do with the moral caution this movie offers the viewer: that forgiveness is hard but living without it is impossible, and that even pain has beauty in it because it is authentically FELT. The final image - Claudia's uncertain, frazzled, vulnerable but hopeful smile - is one of the most haunting in movie history, one I hope to carry with me forever. God willing.
Rating: 
Summary: long but powerful
Review: its a two tape long movie but its great and its actors do good. the end with all the frogs was unexpected fot me and it was hilarious to see that, its rainging frogs damnit!!! Tom Cruise delivers the powerfullest performance in here as the son of a dying father and he confronts his father in tape two. the relationship bewteen Melora Walters and John C. Reilly is oddly likable. pt andersons other films Punch-Drunk Love and Boogie Nights I recommend too
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Summary: Beautiful...
Review: This is one of those rare intelligent, artistic movies that manages to deliver both entertainment and impact. Magnolia isn't a story about just one person; it's not about a few characters, either. With its large, magnificient cast, it spins a story of many people, both as individuals and as members of the society they belong in. There are so many threads in the movie, you'd almost expect it to disintegrate in some sections, but somehow it all holds together to form a beautiful mozaic. After I watched it, I couldn't help but keep thinking about the people in my life, those whom I know well and those I don't, and about how much I really know about them and what it's like to be living as them. It's profound, entertaining, provoking and produced with zeal and talent. A great reflection of what life really is like. If you prefer traditional Hollywood movies, Magnolia isn't a good choice for you, but if you like movies that make you think and feel, Magnolia's a good choice for a buy.
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Summary: What about John C. Reilly?
Review: When I first submitted my search for "magnolia" (my favorite movie of all time, incidentally), i was irritated to discover that Tom Cruise's name was the only name that followed the title.
Obviously, this is because of his super stardom.
John C. Reilly's performance in this movie is one of the greatest, most thoughtful and most underrated. I didn't think that this degree of honesty in a performance was possible. It was the first thing I'd ever seen him in and since then, he has been my favorite working actor.
The copy of this film that I happened to own was one of those academy screening editions that they send members during Oscar season. On the back, under "for your consideration," It read something like this; BEST ACTOR-John C. Reilly
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-Tom Cruise, Jason Robards Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Phillip Baker Hall I'm not saying that Tom Cruise was bad in this movie. In fact, I think it's his best performance to date (since he seems to pretty much be playing his own slimy self). But can't we just give somebody else a chance in the spotlight here, amazon? Somebody who really really deserves it? Furthermore, it seems to me that Paul Thomas Anderson may have deserved this credit as well. He is one of the few true geniuses we have working in Hollywood....I've seen all of his films and there's not a one that I didn't appreciate (actually, i still haven't gotten a chance to see his debut film, HARD EIGHT, but i'm trying). Anyway, it's not like this sort of thing really matters. I was just irritated and felt like complaining. See Magnolia!
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Summary: A feast full of rich a delectable tastes. Dig in.
Review: This movie is not for the faint of heart. I made the mistake of starting this movie at 10:30pm thinking that it'd be the usual 1.5 hour movie. I should have looked at the sleeve more closely, this movie is over 3 hours long. Not to mention the fact that Anderson pushes the boundaries of storytelling by interweaving a multitude of characters to tell one story, or message. This is a "thinking man's" movie and not something to just flip through like so many movies released today. The script is great, but Anderson has also put together a fantastic cast to bring it to life. John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Baker Hall are some of the best character actors around and they just light up the screen. Tom Cruise who gives a stand out performance as Frank T.J. Mackey (host of an infomercial called "Seduce and Destroy"), Julianne Moore, William H. Macy round out the cast and bring a little star power along with them. But there are a ton of more actors in this ensemble piece, such as Jason Robards, but the list is simply too long to list. It's so hard to review this film, simply because it is told in such a unique way. All of the characters are connected to one another in some way shape and form and Anderson uses a variety of styles to tell the story. In fact, at one point, it's almost a music video as all of the major characters lip sync to one of the cuts from the soundtrack. This movie is funny, sad, poignant, and absurd. It's simply one of those films that you'll be talking about days after seeing it, still trying to put all the pieces together. Overall, this film is a movie lover's feast. A feast full of rich a delectable tastes. Dig in.
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Summary: Magnolia
Review: TV millionaire Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is on his deathbed dying from cancer, his beautiful wife's (Juilianne Moore) painpill addiction is more than she can handle. All the while, Earl's nurse (Philip Seymour Hoffman) trys to track down Earl's son, a sex instructor Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise), who wants nothing more than to get to watch his old man croak. Whiz-Kid Stanley (Jeremy Blackman) is being pushed by his cold hearted dad into breaking the record on the game show What Do Kids Know? Then there is Stanley's predecessor, the grown-up Quiz-Kid Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) whom has lost his job, lost his pride and has mixed sexual feelings about the bartender. The host of What Do Kids Know?, Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), whose dying of cancer trys to reconcile with his cocaine addict of a daughter (Melora Walters) and fails miserably. She is also on a date with a cop (John C. Reilly), who wants to date her, but can't get a signal on whether or not she likes him. But all of them will cross paths, some in tragic ways, but all in redemption for a new look at what tomorrow will bring. "Magnolia" is a great film with an excellent cast. Director P.T Anderson (Boogie Nights) brings a film with ragged emotions, romantic dreams and generational termoil to a cinematic masterpiece. In a psychological game of pickup sticks we see each generation of parents alienate the next and how, ultimately, they find redemption for the past and a new future. The way P.T. Anderson directs this film is brilliant. An excellent cast with a crafty director shows why this film was nominated at both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Tom Cruise give a more than Oscar worthy performance. Other notably great performances come from Macy, Moore and Hoffman.
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Summary: An Emotionally Powerful Character Study... Well Done!
Review: This film provides an emotionally powerful character study of emotional trauma, naked pain, bitterness, forgiveness - and raining frogs! The cast is simply outstanding, and Paul Thomas Anderson is a brilliant writer/director. Tom Cruise gives arguably the best dramatic performance of his career, and as far as I'm concerned, was downright ROBBED of the 1999 Best Supporting Actor Oscar. I suspect that the real reason he didn't win (and Michael Caine did for that cinematic snorefest "The Cider House Rules") is because Hollywood is just plain jealous of the guy: He's good-looking, his movies makes $$$$$ at the box office, and as his role in this film shows, he can act his butt off. The Academy will probably make Cruise wait a while (like Steven Speilberg, Julia Roberts and Al Pacino had to wait) before bestowing Oscar gold upon him - which is a shame, because he really deserved it for this film.
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Summary: Magnificent
Review: This movie is astounding, amazing, moving and quite possibly one of the most meaningful movies of the decade. If you haven't seen it yet, rent it and watch it. At over 3 hours long it's quite a movie. No guarantees you'll like it. You need to be a bit smarter than "Average" to like it. It ranks up there with the best of Mendes, Aronofsky and Tarantino. There are a handful of very scarred individuals living out a day in their life in L.A. They have all experienced pain and loss, and they will do it again during the course of the day. This movie is their lives. And what they do with them. The bottom line of the movie is, there is love and it is real. And there is nothing that happens by accident, and it all has meaning. And there is something very comforting about that.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing short of, AMAZING!
Review: First off, you are probably looking at this review to decide whether or not to buy, rent, or simply see this movie. I am not going to describe anything that goes on in the movie, but I will explain to you why you should BUY it. First off, you need to have an IQ over 100. ;) no offence. Personally, I am an avid movie researcher and watcher and have no idea what my IQ is. I explore many movies from Fight Club, to Run Lola Run, to American Bueaty, to Pulp Fiction, to Boondock Saints. All movies that are great! Magnolia is simply amazing, raising the bar on all movies in all time. All of these reviews that might hold you from seeing this movie, giving less than 5 starts simply do not understand the idea behind this movie. I have only watched this movie once, at 2am in the morning, and in about 10 minutes, after I finish writing this review, I will be watching it again to more completely understand the movie. Magnolia completely takes one story and mixes it up, purposefully confusing you. The story keeps you completely engaged throughout the story. When you think that it is done and that you have the answer, the movie moves on describing more and more, evolving the ideas and thoughts in your head about the ending. That is what a movie is suppose to do, right? I would just like to also say that, magnolia is one of those movies where once it is finished, you end up staring at the credits thinking about the movie, until the credits are over. Then, the next day... all you do is think about the movie. It is everything that a movie should be, so if you are not going to see or rent this movie, go BUY it.
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