Magnolia

USA 2000, 189 minutes
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Rating: [R16]
Genres: Drama

Feat. Tom Cruise, Jason Robards Jr., William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Melora Walters

Aroview: A sprawling, stylistically-impressive but moribund domestic melodrama about Californian amorality and redemption (of sorts), with interleaved stories and characters that orbit the shallow entertainment fringe in LA's San Fernando Valley.

Tom Cruise and Jason Robards add clout to dir. Anderson's esteemed repertory ensemble - William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Phillip Baker Hall - though they collectively lack a sympathetic dimension. Arguably, it's the audacious Big Event of the movie (at least as a technical accomplishment) that registers as the film's highlight, otherwise it's likely to divide viewers along similar lines to contentious fare like EYES WIDE SHUT and HAPPINESS.

NZ International Film Festival 2000

Member Reviews

Average rating (Good Enough). Showing 1-3 of 3 member reviews.

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2 stars (Good Try) Tale of neglectful parents, resentful children, and love-starved souls (all having a bad day) there's too many charactors and subplots for it to really suck you in. When something more than just rain falls form the sky, it becomes just laughable. ~GenXGirl
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5 stars (Exceptional) An emotional rollercoaster ride with a top-notch ensemble cast and the most heart-breaking sing-along in cinematic history. ~Wizzums
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2 stars (Good Try) The screenplay is fairly loose and it is one of those that you can randomly dip into at your leisure and not lose the plot. A long weekend would be the best time to view it. ~Tubbs