Magnolia (New Line Platinum Series)

Magnolia (New Line Platinum Series)

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• An intriguing and entertaining study in characters going through varying levels of crisis and introspection. This psychological drama leads you in several different directions, weaving and intersecting various subplots and characters, from a brilliant Tom Cruise, as a self-proclaimed pied-piper, to a child forced to go on a TV game show and the pressures he faces from a ruthless father.Running Tim

Movie Reviews of Magnolia (New Line Platinum Series)

Movie Review: The Best Film of the Decade
Summary: 5 Stars

"Magnolia", which is a moody film, manages to hold your attention for an entire three hours without seeming tedious or pretentious. It tells stories of chance and coincidence and is able to prove that strange things do happen. Complex and bizarre matters are feasible. Take the assassination of President John F. Kennedy for instance. But what about the dozens of missiles Iraq launched at Israel during the Gulf War in 1991? These missiles were supposed to inflict a substantial number of casualties, but only two people died and a few were moderately injured. These unexplainable acts do occur. As one of the film's characters says, "these strange things happen all the time".

All but one of the characters in this movie has at least one tragic incident in his/her background. These people, both rich and poor, lead lonely and depressing lives. The film's opening credit sequence appropriately plays the song "One Is The Loneliest Number", which is sung by Aimee Mann. But, the sheer beauty of these 10 assorted characters Anderson compiles is that they all want to redeem themselves by mending the wrong they've caused. These are neglected human beings who yearn for attention.

With excellent performances ranging from Tom Cruise, in his most audacious role to date, to Melora Walters, the ensemble cast is first-rate. Clocking in at 190 minutes, this is the year's longest, and perhaps best film. A great deal of patience is required, but if you're willing to sit through it all, the payoff is worthwhile. "Magnolia" is an awe-inspiring motion picture. It delivers deep emotions that rarely grow weary or sell out much like most of the sappy and artificial dramas currently in theatres. When we see William H. Macy's character, Quiz Kid Donny Smith, pleading for his job as an electronic salesman, informing his boss that there is not a worse time for him to be unemployed, the actor's subtle facial expression as he faces the torment of not being able to hold on to a job, is on the money. Later on when the audience hears him say, "My name is Quiz Kid Donny Smith and I have a lot of love to give", our hearts go out to his bluntness in admitting an intimate secret. This is the sort of integrity "Magnolia" sustains. It is straightforward in expressing the pain of reality. Such as molestation, sexual infidelity, child abuse, and responsibilities.

On a technical level, it's candy for the eye. From the Scorsese-like camera movement to original angle shots, almost every frame is saturated with beautiful colors. The kinetic camerawork and quick cuts all add up to its look. The soundtrack is booming. With numerous songs from Aimee Mann and a score composed by Jon Brion, the tone is well set. Cruise, who is better in the 45 minutes on-screen here than he was in the entire "Eyes Wide Shut", is wickedly brutal.

"Magnolia" begins with the narration of three unrelated stories, which I will not reveal due to their ingenuity. Then, we are taken to the present day and introduced to ten L.A dwellers. Meet Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise), a seminar guru whose program, "Seduce and Destroy", teaches indecisive men how to pick up gorgeous women. Frank's motto, makes him a male icon for millions. His father, Earl Partridge (Jason Robards), is rapidly dying of cancer and wishes to see Frank, who has not spoken to him for quite some time, before his ultimate demise. Earl's trophy wife, Linda (Julianne Moore), has a guilty conscience since she only now begins to love her husband, who she just married for his money. Earl's caretaker, Phil Parma (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), has the difficult task of locating Frank.

There's the story of a boy genius named Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman), who is getting tired of always answering the questions on a famous television show, "What Do Kids Know?" The pompous host of this show, Jimmy Gator (Phillip Baker Hall), is dying of cancer as well, and wants to clear up matters with his family. His cocaine-snorting daughter, Claudia (Melora Walters), refuses to speak to him, and throws a tantrum when they interact in the beginning. The ex-boy genius, Quiz Kid Donny Smith (William H. Macy), wants corrective oral surgery (braces) to impress a bartender named Brad, who also has braces. And finally there's Officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly), an honest and bible abiding cop who has fallen in love with Claudia. Jim is a philanthropist that screeches every time he is exposed to vulgar language.

"Magnolia" takes an interlude in the middle for a song sequence in which all the characters nonchalantly sing the lyrics to Aimee Mann's "Wise Up". By this scene you have to acknowledge the fact that Anderson is a bold filmmaker. After sitting on the accolades of "Boogie Nights" for a while, Anderson wanted to take advantage of his power in Hollywood and make a risky movie, even if it meant taking over three hours out of our lives. As for the amphibious creatures displayed in the film's posters and trailers, prepare to be shocked. I was able to empathize with these characters, for they are all tormented souls experiencing difficult dilemmas. Such as Cruise's situation of whether he should see his dying father, who he feels contempt for. This movie will not appeal to some. It demands a lot of attention and time, so those moviegoers who prefer to see nonsensical films, catch "Deuce Bigalow", for the more artistic film-lovers, "Magnolia" is not to be missed.

Summary of Magnolia (New Line Platinum Series)

This third feature from Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights) is a maddening, magnificent piece of filmmaking, and it's an ensemble film to rank with the best of Robert Altman--every little piece of the film means something, and it's solidly there for a reason. Deftly juggling a breathtaking ensemble of actors, Anderson crafts a tale of neglectful parents, resentful children, and love-starved souls that's amazing in scope, both thematically and emotionally. Part of the charge of Magnolia is seeing exactly how may characters Anderson can juggle, and can he keep all those balls in air (indeed he can, even if it means throwing frogs into the mix). And it's been far too long since we've seen a filmmaker whose love of making movies is so purely joyful, and this electric energy is reflected in the actors, from Cruise's revelatory performance to Reilly's quietly powerful turn as the moral center of the story. While at three hours it's definitely not suited to everyone's taste, Magnolia is a compelling, heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful mediation on the accidents of chance that make up our lives. Featuring eight wonderful songs by Aimee Mann, including "Save Me." --Mark Englehart