Magnolia Review
by "Berge Garabedian" (drsuess AT microtec DOT net)January 9th, 2000
MAGNOLIA
RATING: 8.5 /10 --> Excellent movie
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Strange things happen. I spent my morning buzzing about being named as one of "USA Today's" hot sites, got canned for the first time in my life in the afternoon, and saw this film during the evening. After the movie, everything just seemed...well, peaceful. What a beautiful movie. Should we cling to our pasts, forgive our loved ones, treat others as we would like to be treated or do we have little choice in any of the stuff that really goes on in our lives? Writer/director P.T. Anderson takes us through an interesting journey across the halls of chance, coincidence and fate.
PLOT:
This film follows the lives of various intertwining individuals during a period of 24 hours in the San Fernando Valley.
CRITIQUE:
A wonderfully crafted picture, this movie sweeps you through the lives of many interesting characters, develops several extremely memorable sequences which will likely stick in your mind for years to come, and offers many of today's top character actors in top form. And yes, that includes Tom Cruise who delivers a kick ass showing, with one of his most unique performances in years (And tops Brad Pitt in upper-body development, believe it or not...wow, what a bod!). It is to note that this film is not for everyone, and is another one of this year's infamous 3-hour+ movies, but one that is in my opinion, totally worth its value in time. In fact, I don't remember one particular scene in this film which did not grasp my complete and undivided attention. The movie itself starts off with some "classic" P.T. Anderson camera tricks that should automatically suck you into his game, develops many an interesting story line across various well-established three-dimensional characters, and ends off with one of the most bizarre sequences ever put to screen. Some people have been heard to complain about this ending, or the general esoteric nature of the film, but I enjoyed its surreal conclusion and just loved every bit of this movie and its poignant messages on life, love, forgiveness, infidelity, the past, dealing with the present and chance.
Of course, all of these serious subjects were tackled admirably by a formidable crew including extremely solid performances by little Timmy Cruise, the always-reliable Philip Baker Hall and William H. Macy, and a superb showing by Melora Walters. Julianne Moore was her usual solid self, but I couldn't help but feel like she had already played this drugged-up character before. The soundtrack was another successful supporting layer of this film, as was the creative eye from P.T. Anderson and the overall magical feel of the movie. I truly fell in love with the style of this film and its many intertwining stories and characters. As soon as the movie was over, I wanted to see it again and revisit the characters one more time. In fact, I can't wait to see it again after discussing its many meanings with my movie geek friends. Is everything left to chance? Will your past always affect your present? Does forgiveness and acceptance play a part in it all? A lot of puzzles, a lot of interpretations, a lot of engaging characters, and most of all, a lot of genuine entertainment. This film is apparently not intended for everyone, as witnessed by several of the walkouts during my own screening, but definitely a keeper for all fans of character-driven dramas laced with a tiny bit of humor and surreal fantasy. Love it or hate it, I think we could all agree that P.T. Anderson has quickly become synonymous with a man whose workings ooze extreme originality and excitement.
Can't wait to see his next pic. Great movie! Easily one of the year's best.
Review Date: January 5, 2000
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Joanne Sellar
Actors: Jason Robards as Earl Partridge
Julianne Moore as Linda Partridge
Tom Cruise as Frank Mackey
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Phil Parma
John C. Reilly as Officer Jim Kurring
Melora Walters as Claudia Gator
William H. Macy as Donnie Smith
Philip Baker Hall as Jimmy Gator
Genre: Drama
Year of Release: 1999
(c) 2000 Berge Garabedian
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