Rating: 
Summary: Not sure how many stars to give this now...
Review: The high rating is for the dvd not the movie...I am feeling compelled to write this review...Where to begin? Well, let me start off by saying that Boogie Nights was the film that made me want to become a filmmaker/screenwriter. That said...Well, here goes...I loved Magnolia when I first saw it. Absolutely thought it was the most personal, beautiful, powerful piece of cinema I had ever seen. Then something very interesting happened...I watched the film over the last few years since it's release and I unfortunately have to say the film doesn't hold up for me anymore. It is difficult for me to say this because it does indeed have some brilliant acting (i.e Julianne Moore-who is always good), and some incredible sequences (i.e. the opening of the film-and the scenes with Melinda Dillon), but the rest of the film is truly dull in spots and the dialogue completely ridiculous and self indulgent. Now I say this carefully...Because I know this movie is coming from the heart of a guy who suffered a lot when he wrote this...Keep in mind PTA's dad died of cancer. A pretty awful and unimaginably terrible experience to be sure. But although the film has this sense of truth and a great deal of good intentions as a film it just doesn't hold together. I found it really boring and painfully uneven the last time I watched it. Another thing that really hurt the movie for me too the last time I watched it is that I kept finding myself comparing it to Nashville. A much older and better film. Punch Drunk Love also had scenes of great filmmaking (i.e. camera work, editing and use of sound-PTA may quite possibly have the best production team in the business), but the dialogue was really hurting and I just couldn't get into the main characters. I know that PTA loves movies. He is one of the few filmmakers out there that I believe truly does. But he just hasn't honed in his abilities I feel. But what do I know? Boogie Nights is probably my personal favorite and one of my favorite films of all time. But I think his most solid work as both a screenwriter and director that really show his own true voice and style were in "Sydney." Except for a few moments that I think he borrowed from Melvin and Howard "Sydney" is the film that is most his own. The others are a bit Demme, Scorsese, Downey, Brooks and Altman. Probably too much in fact of these other directors in style. But what Boogie Nights has that Magnolia doesn't is how much you love the characters and the style is used appropriately. Which is incredible to me because I have known quite a few people that have died of cancer and have had friends who share some of the very serious family problems found in the film, but Boogie Nights just seemed more real. Magnolia is sort of a movie that feels like a stream of consciousness piece. Not really a movie. It's a guy who spewed all the pain he was going through and pressures of being this new hotshot director onto the screen with sporadic and varying results. I used to love this movie. Now I feel it doesn't work. Man it sucks to feel that way about it. I wish I could still love it. Does anyone else feel this way about it, or am I the only one? You know what? Disregard everything I just said. PTA must be good because I am talking about him. And his movies do stay with you. He's a great filmmaker. I guess let's just leave it at that. Besides I am probably jealous.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutly NOT a "Hollywood" film.... Breathtaking!
Review: Please be forewarned that it may be necessary to watch this movie twice. I saw this film a few years ago in the theatre and approached it as another Hollywood "entertainment" piece. As a result, I was intellectually comotose while watching it and only noticed the intensity of the acting as a postive. I was left feeling utterly bewildered at the film's climax and a bit cheated when leaving the theatre. Recently I saw this movie again on the small screen and I was so blown away by the POWERFUL symbolism and awed by the director's lack of the typical Hollywood athiestic cynicism and nihilism that I would rate this as one of my three favorite films of all time. I have read many of the preceeding reviews and I am baffled by peoples' opinions on this film. The symbolism in this movie is CHRISTIAN. Why are most people missing the point? I would guess it is because people just don't buy that Hollywood would take such a risk as to endorse the timeless elements of righteousness, faith, and forgiveness. Some important tips for watching this masterpiece: Pay close attention to the cop. He appears to be one of "God's fools." He is actually a christ figure- simple but a truly good person who never loses his faith even when he undegoes an embarrassing ordeal. Ultimately he delivers the lines on forgiveness at the story's climax. To miss this element in the story is to miss the point entirely. The catharsis of human confession of sins is another message that should not be missed. Ultimately, everyone comes clean except for the pedophile gameshow host. He can not bring himself to admit, to "say," what evil he has perpetrated and he suffers the consequence at the end of the movie. It is necessary for us as humans to acknowledge our sin and to seek redemption- otherwise the past becomes too burdensome to our souls and exploits our human frailty. The arrogance of humanity in our age is our belief that we are emotional giants- entities independent of love and pain and not needing of forgiveness or spirituality. Watch as this movie unravels that arrogance through the familiar pain of all of the characters. Another risky theme which is explored is that homosexuality could sometimes be only misplaced love. Exploring that theme takes some REAL guts in Hollywood today- truly refreshing in the face of such garbage as "American Beauty." Please watch this film from a human standpoint and while watching, keep in mind some words from Dostoevsky- "Can there be a sin so great as to surpass the will of God to forgive?" The answer my friends, is NO- but we must first seek that forgiveness from Him and FROM EACH OTHER. Watch and learn.
Rating:
Summary: Holy Cow
Review: Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. What an EXCELLENT movie. Wow. Absolutely FANTASTIC. Go watch it NOW.
Rating: 
Summary: Proof that nice packaging can trick us into renting bad DVDs
Review: The beautiful packaging of this movie and the ensemble of actors looked promising, but something gets lost in the translation. Perhaps it's the director's insistence to make this 3 hours long when 2 hours would suffice, perhaps it's the in-your-face moral messages, or perhaps it's the constant use of the f-word and other phrases meant to shock, such as the one the is repeated about respecting certain things that are really more functional than they are worthy of respect, but somehow this film fails to deliver. The raining of amphibians must have been added at the end when the director realized he had to give the audience some sort of an ending. Three hours of watching messed up people deal with the consequences they can no longer avoid is not much of a movie and this isn't art -- it's just nonsense and weirdness masking as art. However, if you wanted to illustrate overacting, this film would be a great reference tool.
Rating:
Summary: So Now Then...
Review: Many individuals in today's society are ignorant to the fact that movies are so much more than just a way of killing time. They are an escape, a way for someone to make their own conclusions about the incidents both in the film, and in their own lives. It is a way to draw parallels to reality. Just like a painting, film is an art form. However, film has gone drastically downhill over the past few decades. As society has become more and more lazy and unintelligent, films have become more and more obvious and spoon-fed. This is right about where Paul Thomas Anderson comes into play. A brilliant writer/director, he had his beginning with the little known movie, Hard Eight. Afterwards, he became strongly credited for his fascinating work in the masterpiece Boogie Nights. Along comes Magnolia, a film that he KNEW wouldn't do well in the box office. News flash: Artists like P.T. also NEVER CARE how well their films do in the box office. The reason for this is because they know how obnoxiously lazy American moviegoers are today. Magnolia is a film about drastically different, yet all very troubled lives that connect with each other on one incredible day. P.T. knows his characters well enough to be able to make their actions forgivable, and knows how to make them utterly realistic. His directing is nothing short of genius. P.T. uses the ever-moving camera technique to show how incredibly detailed and expansive his worlds are. Just as in-depth as his environments are his characters. The range of emotions that these people face are incredible, and the entire movie will, quite simply be, the most emotionally exhausting 3 hours of your life. To those who hate this film: It is quite obvious that the individuals who ridicule this movie quite simply JUST DON'T GET IT. Yes, it is frustrating when one comes to face the fact that they just don't have the intelligence to understand such a brilliant piece of art as this, whether it be the directing, the acting, the symbolism, etc. Whatever the case...if you didn't understand it, that's your problem, and it does not give you the right to bash this smart, funny, and ultimately, very sad film. One of the best films ever made, and there is no excuse for anyone not to own it.
Rating:
Summary: Magnolia...
Review: This masterpiece brilliantly directed by P.T. Anderson is perhaps my favorite film, for many reasons. The film follows several lives during one day in San Fernando Valley, chances and strange happenstances affecting all of them. Child genius Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman) lives with his pushy father (Michael Bowen) while competing in a game show, "What Do Kids Know?" and winning every time, always answering the questions instead of his team peers volunteering to answer. He is tired of always being pressured for the game show, and from his father's constant strain on him to be perfect. The host of the show, Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) has developed cancer and will die in two months, depressed as ever. His wife Rose is beginning to realize that Jimmy's life may be a lie. His daughter, Claudia Wilson Gator (Melora Walters) hates her father, is addicted to coke and is immediately attracted to police officer Jim Kurring(John C. Reilly). Back to the gameshow--Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) is lonely after being fired from his job and is in love with a male bartender, who doesn't show it back, and Donnie will do anything to get his attention. "What Do Kids Know Producer?" Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) has also contracted cancer and will inevitably die very soon. His wife, Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore) married him only for his money, but is now in love with him. Earl's caretaker Phil Parma Philip Seymour Hoffman is holding onto the life of Earl while searching for the estranged Partridge son from Earl's previous marriage. This lost son has change his name to Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise) and gives sex advice to men in seminars and videotapes. These stories seem to have connection, yes. But by the end, they have all intertwined to create a stunning, unanticipated and disturbing climax that makes this exquisite Hollywood film wonderful. Every performance in this film is key, or else it will come off as a corny melodrama. It is certainly not that. Julianne Moore proves herself to be one of the best actresses currently out there. Tom Cruise's normally lifeless performance in films is not seen at all in "Magnolia". He grabs the audience by the throat and makes the film all more believable. I love this movie because it shows how people can affect people, and how strange events aren't always coincidence. And then comes the ending! See this film if you are passionate about the cinema!
Rating:
Summary: Shallow and obvious
Review: The problem I had with Magnolia was that it was a shallow, obvious, and self-indulgent mess of a film disguised as human drama with depth. In every scene there were overdone, overacted long theatrical geriatrics by the actors indicating the hell out the problems they were going through in life. Every single character were just two-dimensional character archetypes holding up a billboard sign stating what their malfunction was in life. It didn't allow the viewers to observe and find out their flaws for themselves. Paul Thomas Anderson did that for us by having his characters be exagerrated archetypes. For all of its labored and amateurishly film-school style offbeat-for-the-sake-of-being-offbeat theatrics, in the end, it was just a movie about tortured souls in Los Angeles seeking forgiveness for their sins and forgiving those who have sinned. There was nothing ambiguous about this film and at three hours, there should have been plenty of ambiguity. PT Anderson also thinks moving the camera all over the place is having visual sense. He doesn't seem to realize camera movements should be done in accordance to what is happening in the story. He makes 25 million dollar budgeted movies that look like a cheaply made 5 million dollar movie that are grotesquely photographed. He has no visual style at all as much as a lot of people seem to be fooled into thinking he does because there's a lot of unecessary camera movements in his movies. Personally, I think Magnolia is down there among the worst films ever made and PT Anderson as one of the biggest phonies to have fooled alot of people in Hollywood.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This is the second movie of Mr. Anderson's that I have watched. The first was the phenomenal "Boogie Nights." "Magnolia" is just as awesome an chievement as "Boogie Nights." The fact that is deals more intimately with familial relationships makes it, in that respect, a bit more difficult to watch than "Boogie Nights." The movie follows certain residents of the San Fernando Valley in a day. To say that they are in the midst of a storm is a masterpiece of understatment. The cast, many of whom were in "Boogie Nights" is again positively first-rate. And as in "Boogie Night" there is no real or structured "plot" but more imprtantly an observation of human reactions to various intimate stimuli as well as the culmination of those responses. The calming influence in the midst of all the turbulence is John C. Reily as a police officer who is lonely and in need of someone to love, so much so, that we become appalled at the fact, that his need of love is so strong as to cause him to make a monumentally horrible choice. Each relationship depicted has its own fabric that leaves much to be desired. If you are in to character study, this is indeed an excellent vehicle. The cast, again, is positvely fabulous. We have Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, and last but not least, Tom Cruise who, generally is not one of my favorites, but his performance, actually mirrors the intensity of Mark Wahlberg's in "Boogie Nights." Tom's performance here is riveting. The movie culminates in one of the weirdest and disturbing climaxes I've seen in quite a while. This is one of those movies where, if you smoke, you will certainly need a cigarette afterwards, as it is emotionally taxing, but no less entertaining, thought-provoking, and ultimately worthy to be included in any movie collection.
Rating:
Summary: Daring, Bold...Excellent.
Review: I began watching Magnolia with no preconceived ideas at all. In the end, I was quite impressed with its boldness and emotional power. It was a very good film. I just recently saw the film on IFC. I had heard some good reviews and some reviews that described it as very strange. Never one to turn away from a strange film, I decided to give it a try. From the first frame it struck me as daring, vivid and unconventional. The opening sequence immediately captured me and the film never really lost my attention. There is no doubt though, it was long and it took effort to sit and watch. But that does not mean it was bad, as some have said. It just took more energy to watch than the average movie does. I enjoyed the manic-depressive and seemingly random style that Anderson used. I wasn't always completely sure what was happening, or why. But I was still captivated by what I was watching. Every actor fit his or her part perfectly. The film was full of dramatic imagery and meaning, but in no way did it come across as pompous. I saw a film that had a genuine message and took risks in order to convey that message in the most effective way. Frogs falling from the sky is definitely a risk. I know this was a stumbling block for many viewers. But this scene, while admittedly fantastic, worked. A key message that I drew from the movie is that there will nearly always be change and uncertainty; but that is not necessarily bad. Another message I saw is that we must challenge ourselves to be honest, open and forgiving. When you think about it, it is scary just how dishonest we all can be, even with ourselves. The film warned that when you lie to yourself and those you love, you will end up alone in the world. At one point or another I felt like any one of the main characters was just about to kill his or her self. But by the same token, I saw each character show genuine happiness and contentment as well. I understood this to be an expression of how we all have happiness and sadness, and the best way to find peace and love is to be yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: overwrought melodrama
Review: i understand the movie. i like the overall message. but this would have been a much better movie in two hours than it is in three. in short, the direction is of the "why make this scene last two minutes, when it can last five?" variety. lingering camera shots that serve no apparent purpose. unlikeable characters, almost across the board, and too many of them. a laugh-out-loud musical number (yes, really) that's supposed to be deathly serious, about two hours and twenty minutes in. a rather insulting ending that greatly disappoints non critic-types in the audience, given how great the first ten minutes are. one star for the chapter stops and fast forward options on the DVD version. one star for how good this movie can be when you fast forward liberally. total: 2 stars.
| 
