Rating: 
Summary: Magnolia - One of the Greatest Movies Ever!
Review: "Magnolia" was a great movie for many many reasons. The intricate plot, with amazing character work...and even though the movie is three hours long, it really moves along nicely. Tom Cruise is absolutely spectacular...his finest roll EVER. Playing the larger than life motivational speaker that can "Tame" everyone and everything in his path...to breaking down at the bedside of his dying father. All of the intricate plot lines and character analysis is what makes the movie an amazing joy to watch. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! You really are missing out on something if you miss the movie...it can really change the way you view life.
Rating: 
Summary: What?
Review: When watching this movie, one thought kept running through my head, "How did this get made?" It was a confusing tale that includes about thirty characters that are all loosely related to each other. I was too distracted by trying to keep the odd relationships straight to concentrate on the pointless message of the movie, which seemed to be that weird things happen in life. Not the most fulfilling moral in the world.Tom Cruise's performance did not stand out from the others in the movie. I could not understand how he got nominated with the other fine actors for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. All of the others had outstanding performances in incredible movies, yet Cruise didn't do a whole lot in this movie. I don't have a problem with long movies. I usually appreciate a longer movie, but this could not hold my attention. The story bounced from character to character so quickly that I didn't have enough time to care for any one of them. So I got bored. This movie was an incredible waste of an evening. I have thoughts that I might like it better after seeing it a second or third time, but I don't want to take that risk! I only have so much time to waste. I definitely do not recommend this film.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning! Spoiled brat with camera at large!
Review: This is only a kids way to see "Short Cuts" (which, by the way, was heavily overrated as well). After having seen this and having read several reviews of it before seeing it, I was puzzled to say the least. I search my memory to find a more overrated film but I fail to find one. Not one single theme in the film is treated with any depth. The actors are all terrific in their handed roles but the roles themselves are idiotic. If this is the way people are in America, then indeed: "God Bless America". But it isn't. The only role that was half believable was the male role of the nurse of Jason Robards. Don't waste Your time with this one: It's phony, phony, phony!!! The frog-rain in the end is good but it won't save the movie. The star above is for that rain.
Rating:
Summary: Superbly Sympathetic Movie
Review: I watched Magnolia last week on television pay per view, in my hotel room, at the end of a terribly long day at work - not the best time to see a movie. Yet what I saw was so enthralling, so moving, my attention was rapt. There are scenes in some movies that are terribly moving because the writer has such sympathy for people who are hurt or lost in some way. I think of Timothy Hutton's character in Made in Heaven or Diane Lane's in Walk on the Moon. Magnolia has that sympathy in spades for an entire world in hurt, living in regret or frustration or worry. Although some reviewers clearly didn't respond, I think the vast majority of people will. It's an interconnecting tale of many characters with connections to one another's pasts or present (either through family or work) in a day in the Los Angeles suburbs. There are many recurring subjects - parents and children, drug addiction, television, forgiveness, insecurity of one's appeal to others, cancer, the haunting of the past, coincidence itself. The acting is superb, the movie deliberately unrealistic in some effects, yet terribly so in many others. The "philosophy" of the movie is quite old-fashioned - a restatement of the importance of love and understanding between people, regardless of their failures as human beings. There is an astonishing simplicity about much of the dialogue - e.g., "Dad, you've got to be nicer to me" and much of what the policeman says about forgiveness. I have read reviews here attacking the screenplay - yet most people will want to cry during the course of it. That's pretty powerful. The movie is haunting - when it's over, it makes the particular thing you are doing seem insignificant. Why are its effects so profound? I don't know - perhaps because the characters are so well drawn, the acting so magnificent, the desires of the characters so present in all of us, the intensity of the dilemmas facing human beings so vividly displayed. This is a movie that will strike very deeply. It cannot easily be chewed, discussed and forgotten in a drink with another after the movie. It doesn't easily lend itself to "I liked this part, how about you?" sort of discussion. This wonderful movie is probably best seen alone. Do see it - you won't forget it.
Rating:
Summary: Good + a long movie
Review: I liked, "Magnolia" but even though it's 3 in a half hours it's good. The ending was, weird don't wanna give it away but Tom Cruise got a weird roll i've seen his recent films, "Eyes Wide Shut" was ok dumb ending. Well enjoy this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: This is really a great film. Very meditative to me. The interplay between Cruise, who gives a performance which is just beyond belief, and his father is remarkable. The end is very unique and special. Alot of credit to those involved.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible!
Review: This movie is terrible. Unless you want to sit through two and a half hours of junk to get to the thirty minutes that are actually worth something, do not buy this.
Rating:
Summary: A Wild and Crazy Ride
Review: This is one unique film and a fine piece of work, but it is not for the easily bored. You don't even realize what an awesome film it is until you've all but finished watching it. So many seemingly unconnected things and people turn out to be connected in the strangest ways. The film is reminiscent of "Pulp Fiction" and Robert Altman's "Shortcuts," but it's even more subtle in how each character is unknowingly connected to one another. Makes you mentally take a double-take with the whole "Six Degrees of Separation" thing. One incredible performance after another. Nearly every unpleasant human experience happens in this film... racism, suicide, murder, incest, drug abuse, murder, jealousy, death bed confessions and more... yet the experiences bring the best out of these characters. Some characters you end up hating and others you end up liking in spite of yourself. There is nudity, one graphic (albeit extremely brief... about 1 second) sex scene and about the worst language you have ever heard in film, so this is not suitable for kids. If you're into good film, deep thoughts and appreciate the art of fine storytelling, this is a film you should see. Having it on DVD is another plus as you can jump chapter to chapter after you have watched the movie through the first time. After you see the whole film and it finally all makes sense, you'll want to watch it again to catch all the subtle clues and references (I can't tell you what references w/o spoiling the film) through out.
Rating: 
Summary: Great while you're watching it: unimpressive when you think about it.
Review: For the most part, I really enjoyed watching this movie -although the sheer level of vulgarity in it was really too much totake. But part of my enjoyment was based on wondering how all these chracters and plot lines were related and how their individual stories were resolved. As it turned out, none of the stories had a resolution, and - despite an opening montage strongly stressing the cosmic signifigance of co-incidences - they didn't really co-incide in any meaningful way. The other thing I wasn't crazy about is the naivety and insularity of the movie's slogan - "Things fall down, people look up". The characters include a pressurised child genius; a sleazy seduction-course salesman, a neurotic drug-addicted thirtysomething adultress married to a dying ninetysomething millionaire; a once-gifted man with a crush on a bartender with braces; and a game show presenter who may have molested his coke-snorting daughter. With this in mind, you can't help feeling that the movie isn't so much about people with problems as Americans with problems. It probably won't surprise anyone to learn that it's set in LA. The acting however, is very good - Tom Cruise, for a limited role, is really impressive. And there are parts of it that are genuinely moving and funny. But the ending is crazy and factually inaccurate - the unusual natural phenomenon which frames the movie's conclusion does happen, but nowhere near that extent. I guess the event is exaggerated to disguise the absence of a real ending. Plus it's just so maddening that even after three hours none of the plotlines go anywhere. Like American Beauty, it's great while you're in the cinema, but once you begin to think about the movie, you realise there's really not that much to it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of 1999.
Review: Magnolia is difficult film to review. I expect some people will probably detest this film as too long or having a stupid ending. But Magnolia is a very emotional film. All of our actions have consequences. In this film, adults and children are living with the consequences of parents who misplaced love with hurtful and damaging upbringings. Magnolia, for one, is a complete movie. The performances in the movie are wonderful. Jon Brion's score is amazing, perhaps the most importnat aspect of the film. It sets the pace, and creates the mood. Of course, we know how wonderful Aimee Mann did on her songs. One wonders if the movie could have been made without her. One must also wonder if the Academy even watched this film, or at least listend to it.
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