VividSimon Simply Perfect

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

MJB784 Another movie where freedom to write and direct is endless is Magnolia. Here's the story of nine people who are all connected because of regrets in their past, they live in Magnolia and their sorrows lead to an extraordinary event which happens at the end of the day. The stories connect not just as a whole but in pairs: Two of the nine characters are dying of cancer, one produces and the other hosts the quiz show "What Do Kids Know?" and were bad fathers. Two women are on drugs. Two characters are quiz show kids, one currently on television, the other an unemployed wreck at thirty something. Plus, there's two caretakers, one for the dying man that produces the quiz show and a police officer helping one of the women on drugs, but doesn't know she's taking them. Plus the quiz kid on television is being embarrassed the same time as another character who has an interview and whose father, the producer dying of cancer, has left him. Oh and, the woman on drugs is the daughter of the quiz show host also dying. Plus, all nine characters sing a line from the song "Wise Up." Each line expresses what a certain character is going through. There are also paintings of the Magnolia flower throughout the picture. The surprise that brings the moral together through an act of god is also referenced throughout. Need I say more?

jakedworkin This movie was fantastic, the performances were brilliant, the writing was effective and the directing was top-notch. I've been watching all of PTA's films and I have loved them all (though I need to re-watch The Master and Punch-Drunk Love), I honestly think that he is one of the greatest modern filmmakers (perhaps even reaching the heights of Kubrick and Lynch). The film is an epic story of interconnected characters, set in the backdrop of L.A. This kind of story telling is very similar to Anderson's previous film Boogie Nights and he has said himself that this style was inspired by Robert Altman's movies. Despite the film being so large in scale and ambitious the characters are very subtle and interesting, with every character's ambition being clearly defined. This is thanks to Anderson's script and the incredible ensemble cast of Hollywood big names (namely Tom Cruise) and underrated character actors (Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy). The multiple interweaving plots are engaging and none of them feel heavily cliched or contrived.Despite the many praises I have for the movie (which greatly outweigh the criticisms), there are some things I'd like to address. I thought that some of the directing and script choices near the beginning (long takes, spinning camera, narrator breaking the fourth wall, etc.) felt fairly arrogant, as if Anderson was trying his hardest to show of all his tricks and talent, and while these techniques worked well with the tone of Boogie Nights they felt slightly unnecessary in this drama about death and humanity. Another complaint is the three hour run-time which, though the film is engaging the whole way through, feels a little excessive and could be cut down to maybe 2 and a half hours. The only other complaint I can think of now is that their was one shot where a CGI model of an animal was used and it looks fairly dated (not really the movie's fault). Overall I felt that most everything about this film was excellent, the pacing, the tone, the dialogue and a whole lot of other things that I don't have the time to mention.

MartinHafer "Magnolia" is an incredibly unusual film...sort of an experimental project in it's style. Because of this and the occasionally extremely graphic language and depressing stories, it's a film that many would find hard to like...though I remember professional critics practically falling all over themselves praising it for its originality. So did I like it? Read on.As far as how the film is experimental, it features many different stories that are interwoven throughout the story and it is really not apparently what connects them all during much of "Magnolia". There are also many rapid edits and jumps that make it difficult to follow as well as the three hour plus running time.There is a prologue where several stories (including at least two urban legends) are all used to illustrate death and that perhaps in life there are no coincidences...and you can only assume the disparate stories that follow must be related to this...maybe. So what are the stories? Well, there are too many and too many parts to tell but they involve a dying man (Jason Robards) and his caregiver (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a woman who appears to be strung out (Julianne Moore), a cop who seems to go from one crisis call to another (John C. Reilly), a man who is dying and wants to reconnect with his angry daughter, an ex-quiz kid who now feels like a loser, a sociopathic motivational speaker (Tom Cruise) and many more. And do they all come together to make any sense? Well, they are mostly pretty depressing...at least I can say that without hurting the viewing experience.As I watched, I found "Magnolia" very hard to stop watching. Despite not necessarily enjoying much of the film, it sure kept my attention. Much of it was because the film features a lot of great actors and they had some amazing moments in the movie. Is it a film I loved? No. But I do respect it for trying to be different. And, on balance I am glad I saw it. But I agree with the director/writer when he later said the film might have been better had it been pared down a bit.

merelyaninnuendo MagnoliaHolding an audience on the edge of the seat for more than 3 hours is an accomplishment let along entertain, mesmerize and inspire them with some outstanding writing ever to be written for the screen. When it comes to manipulate multiple characters and make them dance like puppets and bring out the best from each and every situation, no one can hardly touch Paul Thomas Anderson, for his awareness of its eerie world, concept and characters is what makes it work all the way through. Magnolia offers a rare experience that cinema and art could still bedazzle us by its thought provoking aspects toward life and humanity. It is carried and depicted by so many great performances by Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Hoffman and John C. Riley pitching each and every words on screen majestically. Magnolia contains fast paced exhilarating script which is supported thoroughly by stellar performances, breathtaking background score and perfect execution.