Rating: 
Summary: What?
Review: Help! What was this movie's ending about? Please someone TELL ME!
Rating: 
Summary: POWERFULLY PHENOMENAL
Review: One of the things I tell people who haven't seen this movie yet is to keep an open mind. This movie is too phenominal to be missed by people who can not keep an open mind. This movie was more than just a story of the day in the life of several people who are directly and indirectly connected to each other. It's about lessons learned, about past experiences and how one chooses to deal with one's past experiences. It makes you think and it makes you feel something almost indescribable. You can't take the movie for what it's worth. You have to look deep within the picture, listen deep between the lines and dialogue and you will know and feel what each character knows and feels. It's about real people who experienced real ordeals and found their own way (whether good or bad) to deal with what they experienced. I am so glad this movie was made. Kudos to P.T. for a wonderful film that touched me so much. It's (indirect or some may say direct)reference to the Bible and how the story itself leads to the strange but plausible ending was most powerful. What more can I say? Wonderful actors in wonderful performances. A study on human relations. Excellent. Absolutely excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: A folly from a possibly brilliant director; hard to tell yet
Review: If I were to begin this as a normal movie review, and then it went on and on for thousands of words, full of sometimes dazzling paragraphs that didn't relate to each other, and if this review then somehow turned into a haiku written in German about squirrels, how would you respond to it? If you were feeling generous, you might allow that it's fitfully interesting (after all, nobody's ever attempted THIS before), but you also might point out there's a good REASON nobody's done it before.Something like that happens in (and to) MAGNOLIA, the new film by the madly ambitious Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS). For long stretches, even the long bad stretches, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt: Nobody could call MAGNOLIA timid or ordinary. But the cumulative effect of three hours and ten minutes of disjointed emotions, random despair, and freak occurrences that get right in your face and dare you not to take them seriously ... well, it's exhausting, even punitive. Anderson wants to grab us and hold us, but that isn't the same as involving us; he seems to prolong the scenes and shuffle the storylines simply because he can. Anderson loves the bullying CONTROL of being a movie director. In Los Angeles, a variety of people move through their meaningless days, nursing old wounds, sinking into fits of self-loathing. In outline, MAGNOLIA is a lot like Robert Altman's SHORT CUTS, in which flawed, hapless people were caught in the pitiless hands of fate - and of Altman. Anderson is more gentle; he gives his actors moments they can sink their teeth into. But they're just moments - they play like exercises designed for an acting class, and they hardly make sense; they're not organic to the movie, but then nothing else in the movie is, either. Anderson busily sets up many "literary" parallels. There are two dying old fathers, both of whom work or worked in television (Anderson's own father, Ernie Anderson, was the Cleveland kid's-TV horror-movie host Ghoulardi). One, Earl Partridge (Jason Robards), is estranged from his son (Tom Cruise), a dynamic how-to-pick-up-women lecturer probably patterned on Ross Jeffries. The other, Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), hosts a quiz show pitting kids against adults, and is hated by his daughter (Melora Walters in the film's most touching performance), a cokehead who develops an uneasy bond with a good-hearted cop (John C. Reilly). There is also a former quiz-show whiz kid, Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), now a bitter nowhere man who apparently lost his smarts when hit by lightning (Anderson does love these sick jokes of God's); a current whiz kid on Jimmy Gator's show is browbeaten by his own father into winning, just like Donnie was. Why all this elaborate father-son venom? As in BOOGIE NIGHTS, Anderson lays on the vituperative scenes of conflict, the bathetic moments of reconciliation. If he hates his late father, I wish he'd work it out somewhere other than in his movies. Writing about Eugene O'Neill's mammoth play THE ICEMAN COMETH, Pauline Kael noted that "banality in depth can let loose our common demons," and Anderson may have been trying for that. But what he ends up with is banality at LENGTH - punishing length. MAGNOLIA is like a season's worth of soap-opera vignettes, acted vigorously by a sincere cast. (Some of the actors don't come off. The usually dependable Julianne Moore, as Earl's viciously miserable young wife, knocks herself silly trying to do something real with her unwritten character.) The most painful part of MAGNOLIA is that Paul Thomas Anderson isn't a no-talent; you can't dismiss him. He has a genuine gift for melancholy, and some of the pieces of MAGNOLIA are first-rate. But this film and BOOGIE NIGHTS keep veering between wildly contrasting moods: dynamic energy and sodden depression; exaltation and despair. And the stories he's telling just don't justify the workout he puts us through. If MAGNOLIA were shorter, it might make a fascinating folly; if it were LONGER - say, a miniseries for HBO, with more time allotted for the characters to develop beyond sketches of misery - it might've been the best thing on TV. At times the movie seems to tremble under the strain of trying not to crack apart, and at the end, the film completely loses it - it's as if Anderson, desperate for a spectacular finish and an easy way out of his dozen plot threads, had opted for the most arrogantly nonsensical climax possible. Cue the frogs! Is Anderson insane? Or did his ambition just get the better of him? MAGNOLIA is a mess, but it's somehow encouraging: It takes a gifted director to make a movie this extravagantly foolish.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This may be one of the greatest films of all times. It was such a great film, that after i saw it, I went out and bougt the script. The movie is about a number of different people and a day or two of all their lives. Now a lot of you are expecting to see a Tom Cruise film but let me tell you, Tom isn't in this a lot. But he is fantastic! All the acting and dialogue is great and with a hilarious surprise ending, Magnolia is definetely a winner! The subtitles do not make the film any worse.
Rating:
Summary: "We may be through with the past..."
Review: That line is first uttered by aging game show host Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) in Paul Thomas Anderson's epic character study "Magnolia." Hall's character is the first of several to make this loose and indicative religious quote in "Magnolia," a film so emotionally complex, alarmingly twisting, and arrestingly original that it should be marked as the last truly great film of the 1990's. Pinning down a two-sentence summary of the plot is almost impossible for a three-hour opus of this magnitude. It is seemingly plot-less and runs on and on, without any real inevitable "goal" associated with most films. It's basically (and I use that term as loosely as possible) an exercise in following a group of people living in the San Fernando Valley and absorbing all the love, loss, regret, and wants that they're experiencing. As mundane as that appears, "Magnolia" is so inventive that it towers to become much, much more than it sounds. Being a movie with many diverse characters, it includes a very fine-tuned ensemble cast. Among the characters are those trying to give their compassion and help the helpless in a heartless society, like police officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly, in a flawless performance) and caregiver Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman). There are those who are trying to find some basic respect in life, like Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman), the 10-year-old prodigy of a kid's quiz show called "What Do Kids Know?" and Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), a former contestant of the very same quiz show who has gradually become a spineless has-been who's place in life is obsolete. There are those who are at death's door and fighting to redeem a life full of lies and failure, such as wealthy television producer Earl Partridge (Jason Robards, looking quite dead) and Jimmy Gator, the troubled host of the aforementioned quiz show. There are also characters who feel lost in their own pasts, like Claudia Gator (Melora Walters, in a startling breakout), a burnout cocaine addict who is so shattered and trapped in her own history that she instinctively shuns almost anyone who tries to introduce love into her life. There are wives who parallel each other; one, Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore), having a change of heart about her dying husband; the other, Rose Gator (Melinda Dillon), blissfully unaware of her husband's infidelity. And there is Frank "T.J." Mackie (Tom Cruise, in the most limitless role of his career). Frank is a sleazebag who teaches seminars to men in hotel ballrooms on how to "seduce and destroy" any woman they want; the amount of initial ambition and pretension in the character is scary. On top of these main players, there are yet more. These characters do not belong to the story, they are the story. The film opens with a surreal examination of chance that sets us up for the series of occurrences and collisions that take place between all these people in the day the film takes place. It would be criminal to go into the film in any more detail, for the turmoil, psychological manipulation, and powerful sequences it holds need to be experienced first-hand. Seemingly owing something to Robert Altman's 1993 L.A. study "Short Cuts," the elements of divine intervention, dread, desperation and care in "Magnolia" make it a much different and much more affecting work. Director, writer, and producer Paul Thomas Anderson is emerging as one of the most creative and articulate forces in Hollywood. The 29-year-old one-man-army behind "Boogie Nights" and the overlooked film noir "Hard Eight" pieces together something flawless out of what seems like nothing special. Anderson seems to have a knack for building impressive, cohesive ensemble casts, and this is certainly no exception. He takes bold, unapologetic chances with the writing, chances that pay off. Anderson also develops a very distinct style with "Magnolia;" the pace of the film seems very urgent, like a friend rushing to tell you some grand payoff of a story but patient enough to let all the subtle, creeping details sink in. A very compelling element of the film is the soundtrack, almost all of which is tackled by the brilliant songwriter Aimee Mann and her sometimes-producer Jon Brion. Mann's sharp music lends a stunning vulnerability to the story, but Anderson is not content at just dropping songs into his film for atmosphere. Mann's songs actually helped Anderson to compose some of the characters in the story, and several songs are used to very poignant and unique effect at key points in the film; just another innovative step "Magnolia" takes towards cinematic perfection. Other critics may point out that "Magnolia," clocking in at almost three hours, is too long, too vague, too pointless, or too unorganized to even bother with. Yes, it is long, but it feels like the film would be much less if it had scurried along to complete some evident purpose as fast as it could. It helps that it does not have some set course to travel along either; we can't see where it's going or even why at points, and if we could it would surely be a less interesting journey. Not one scene seems boring or out of place, partly because of the life and blind audacity that the cast leaps into their respective roles with, partly because Anderson throws us into a world we are a little familiar with and a lot more confused and curious with. Paul Thomas Anderson has said that after the critical success his breakout "Boogie Nights" was, he wanted to just cut loose and make a three-hour epic about whatever he wanted to make a three-hour epic about, develop unrelated characters who unexpectedly relate, and throw a bunch of Aimee Mann songs in it, just because the studio now gave him the power to do so. Somehow, that blunt description evolved into the towering, psychological, profound, brutally bold work of art and reflection of life that is called "Magnolia."
Rating:
Summary: One Day in Several Lives. One Unforgettable Movie.
Review: Someone once asked me how people should be defined, if not by labels such as "tall, short, fat, skinny, young or old." My answer was that a person is defined by how his or her life affects others. I believe that everyone we meet, talk to, and interact with are somehow changed. So it is in Magnolia, where everyone is destined to affect each other as their lives intersect on one strange day. Written, directed and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights), Magnolia is several stories all interconnected by various ties, some familial, some not. If any one character could be called the center of the film, it would have to be Earl Partridge (Jason Robards), a former television producer who is dying of cancer. While Earl is dying, he confesses to his caretaker Phil (Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Talented Mr. Ripley) that he has a son whom he hasn't seen in ten years. To Phil's surprise, Earl's estranged son is the sleazy Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise, Eyes Wide Shut), a motivational speaker who teaches men how to "seduce and destroy" women. But Magnolia isn't just a story about a dying man and his estranged son. It's about a boy genius who is close to setting a record on a quiz show. It's about the quiz show host, who -- despite his appearance as a wholesome family man -- is anything but. It's about a former quiz kid who can't hold down a steady job. It's about a cop who is searching for love. It's about a woman who is searching for the truth. Through it all, though, there is a sense of the strange, combined with an underlying understanding that everything is somehow connected. The film is definitely not mainstream. Even though a number of the actors appearing are well known, from superstar Cruise to character actor William H. Macy (Mystery Men), the story is more than a little surreal. The opening not only introduces all the characters, but does so against a hauntingly repetitive rendition of "One," performed by Aimee Mann. [Side note: Mann's soundtrack to this film is EXCELLENT!] Magnolia's strength is in its excellent casting and powerful performances by the entire cast. Cruise, especially, is disgustingly delightful as Mackey. His portrayal makes audiences hate him from the first moment, and while we never completely sympathize with him, we come to understand him. Everyone in the movie is -- to varying degrees -- real. Although some characters are really out there, it doesn't take much imagination to believe that somewhere there is someone exactly like them. And that's Magnolia's charm. Even though it's a fictional story, you can believe that it does happen, or could happen, exactly this way.
Rating:
Summary: MAGNOLIA: THE BEST FILM EVER
Review: Paul Thomas Anderson is a brilliant filmmaker and cements his already sure status with this brilliant three hour opus. In 1997, he came into Hollywood with Boogie Nights, a 2 1/2 hour epic about a porn star's rise and fall in 1977. He preceeded that with Hard Eight, a 1997 film about gambling and the relationship between a pro and a bum. His ear is for dialogue, his characters are sympathetic and hopeful,and his real talents lie in the brilliant Camera he possesses. He slipshods through like a roller coaster and goes from one place to the next without missing a beat. He juggles nine characters in the air with ease like some sort of balancing act star. I have not seen the video,I hope to own a DVD player and the DVD of this film some time soon(Christmas,hint,hint). But the film itself is something else and really moved me. The Cruise-Robards relationship breaks down into a horrifyingly real scene at a deathbed which had me realize what fragility there is in time on Earth and how I needed to see my dad more often,no matter how much of a jerk he is(I don't call him jerk-network censor). Magnolia is indescribably,heartbreakingly,fast-paced brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST Film of 1999
Review: "American Beauty" was excellent, but "Magnolia" was the Best Movie of the year. With its complex story, Incredible acting, and awesome filmwork and direction, Paul Thomas Anderson PROVES that he is the next Great film director. Though the point of the movie is a little unclear at the end (the theme is supposed to be about coincidences, but that's not really how it seems to end), The movie is breathtaking and amazing, as it weaves through the lives of very different people in the San Fernando Valley. After watching the movie again, I could not believe the Academy gave Michael Caine the best supporting actor award, for a perfromance that wasn't that great, overlooking the best performance of Tom Cruise's carreer. Julianne Moore was also amazing, with Philip Seymore Hoffman, Jeremey Blackman, Phillip Baker Hall, Jason Robards, and Melora Walters doing superb as well. The other thing I also appreciate, is the fact that the movie is 3 hours and 8 minutes long, but it doesn't seem to be that way. Though many would complain about the length, this is a movie that is exciting through every single minute, and if a minute is lost, that's how lost the movie would be at the end. Though I don't agree with the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson hates editing his films, this one doesn't need to be shorter. "The Green Mile" was long at the same running time, but "Magnolia" is not. The themes are really deep, but that's why the movie is amazing. They are deep, yet they're not, because they are so real. And through the twists of fate, the characters all end up accomplaishing there goals or something, by the end. "Magnolia" is one for your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Boring arty soap-opera slanders the human condition.
Review: I haven't seen anyone comment on the main themes of the movie. Here they are, as many as I can recall: death, parental abandonment, drug and alcohol abuse, infidelity, failure, disease, social awkwardness, loneliness, humiliation. The main reason for introducing so many characters is that it would be impossible to introduce this much human weakness and corruption in a normal-sized cast. While I did not much care for "Boogie Nights," which had similar themes, it was at least easier to swallow such an unrelentingly negative view of humanity when applied only to people in the porn industry in the 1970's. I suppose my biggest criticism of the movie is its superficial one-dimensional characters. Because of their large number, each character has a relatively short screen time, which is only enough time to establish their fatal flaws and devastating circumstances, without any of the richer and more balanced context in which these occur. In this sense, the movie is no more realistic than those sentimental films of the past, where everyone is a good decent person at heart, and the good guy always does well in the end - the shallow mindset is the same, the simplistic view is simply reversed. I suppose in this cynical age, the mirror-image will be applauded just as much as the original was. This is a very long movie about the human condition which ultimately has no real insight into the human condition. Why would anyone enjoy watching a disjointed series of cardboard cutouts of suffering humanity? For me, the net effect was a disturbed queasiness, like a bad rollercoaster ride where you know the danger isn't real, but its still sickening. The movie features excellent performances (however, not Tom Cruise), good production, and powerful direction. It has an art-house feel. It is memorable. These might have been enough to partly compensate for my objections if the whole thing had not been so damn boring. One common consequence of one-dimensional characters, whether positive or negative, is that by themselves, without a normal character as a reference point, they're rarely interesting. The characters here are, in some cases, somewhat unusual or odd, but not strange or dynamic enough to really my capture interest even in short doses. For a movie completely focused on people and their relationships, this is strangely cold and unsympathetic. It seems to enjoy the misery it presents. See it for yourself and decide. If you don't enjoy the first hour, turn it off, it doesn't get any better.
Rating:
Summary: intelligence and imagination, can you handle it?
Review: THERE ARE SEVERAL GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS FILM. THE FIRST BEING, YOU ARE NEVER LET IN ON WHAT IT IS ABOUT UNTIL YOU GO SEE IT. AND AFTER THE FACT THERE ARE THINGS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT IT, BUT THAT IS WHY YOU LOVE IT. YOU NOTICE THINGS ABOUT THE FILM THAT YOU THINK MAY HAVE LED UP TO THE CONCLUSION, OR YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAY THE CHARACTERS WERE DEVELOPED, BUT YOU DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT. YOU MAY SAY IT WAS THE WORST EVER WHEN YOU WATCH IT ONCE, BUT WHEN YOU START TO THINK ABOUT THE WAY YOU WERE A PART OF THIS BRILLIANT SCRIPT WHILE YOU WERE WATCHINGIT, AND THAT YOU SPENT A DAY IN THE LIVES OF THESE AMAZINGLY COMPLEX CHARACTERS, YOU WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE YOUR MIND. THE FILM IS COMPLEX AND IT IS LONG, BUT BETTER THAN THE DOWN SIDES, IT IS INTERESTING, IT IS THOUGHTFUL, AND IT IS UNIQUE. THE ACTING IS INCREDIBLE, THE DIRECTION AND CINEMATOGRAPHY ARE UNBELIEVABLE, AND THE MUSIC IS BREATHTAKING. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE GREATEST FILM OF 1999, A TOP 5 IN MY OVERALL FILM LIST. A BRILLIANT COMBINATION OF ACTING, DIRECTING (PTA IS A GENIUS), AND WRITING (ALSO PTA). YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM!
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