"Magnolia" is a big, sprawling, operatic movie, an incredibly ambitious film by writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, the guy who did "Hard Eight" and "Boogie Nights." The film is an epic, but not in the same way that "Braveheart" or "Titanic" are epics. It's all dialogue and little action, but the characters, the storylines, and the way that they all intertwine makes it an epic nevertheless.
A lotta people love this movie, but lotsa other people absolutely hate it. This is definitely not a movie for everybody. If your favorite movies are "Con Air," "Men in Black," or "Pretty Woman" (not that either movie is all that bad), then this is not your kinda movie. But if you like "Short Cuts," "Glengarry Glen Ross," and "My Dinner with Andre," you'll enjoy "Magnolia."
Thankfully, I don't describe what the movie is about in my reviews, because if I did, I'd hafta write a lot! There's a lotta stuff going on, lotsa different storylines. The common theme for each character seems to be loneliness, but the movie is much, much deeper than that. At three hours, I think that one or two characters and storylines coulda been eliminated, and it woulda made the movie a little more fast-paced. "Magnolia" definitely has some slow parts.
This is an ensemble film, so there is no real star of the movie. Everyone is pretty much in a supporting role, even Tom Cruise. The acting is spectacular, and Cruise will probably get a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Oscar people. It's a nomination he deserves. I've always felt that he was a great actor, but in "Magnolia," he does the best acting I've ever seen him do, and that's a big statement. I think that anyone who sees this movie, even those who hate it, would agree that his performance is masterful. The cast also includes alumni from "Boogie Nights," Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (the latter two "Philips" were also in "Hard Eight"). They all have excellent performances here. Two other alumni from Paul Thomas Anderson's two earlier films are John C. Reilly and Melora Walters, and they're in my favorite storyline in the movie. Their performances are amazing, and I totally enjoyed every moment that they were onscreen together.
The first
time that I saw "Boogie Nights," I thought that it was really good, and
I gave it an "8." Since then, I've seen it a few more times, and I've gotten
to like it even more. I definitely think that it's a "10" now. Maybe the
same thing will happen with "Magnolia." Based on my first viewing, I think
that it's really good, but perhaps when I see it again (and I WILL see it
again), I'll like it even more. Paul Thomas Anderson (who credited himself
as "P.T. Anderson" for the movie) is a terrific filmmaker, and he's definitely
on my list of favorites right now.