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Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: John C Reilly, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Phillip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H Macy
"Its a dangerous thing to confuse children with angels."
" The most useless thing in the world is what's behind me."
"I have sickness all around me and you ask me my life."
"This is the regret that you make."
"And we may be through with the past but the past is not through with us."
" Sometimes people need a little help, sometimes they need to be forgiven, and sometimes they need to go to jail."
If you have not seen Magnolia it is very hard to get a grasp for the narrative from a normal plot summary. We have two older men at the end of their lives who want to make amends with their children. We have two child game show prodigies. One who was that years ago and is trying to deal with the fact that he no longer is. The other who is trying to deal with the pressure of being one now, most of that pressure coming from an overbearing father. We have a lonely cop who wants nothing more from life than to do the right thing and meet the right women. The film transitions quickly from story to story. It does so perfectly and this is all because of Anderson's direction. I don't think I have ever seen a better directed film. To juggle so many moving parts yet keep them all running seamlessly while still engaging the audience emotionally is directing perfection.
Magnolia does engage you emotionally right from the start. If it doesn't you will probably not enjoy this film. If it does you will probably have the reaction that many have over the years. No character is wasted in Magnolia and every single one is drawn perfectly. All of the characters are shown dealing with something from their past that has effected all aspects of their life. As we learn what those circumstance are we gain understanding of their psyche and connect with them. The first half of the film is spent building this theme of dealing with the past. The torment that each character is going through builds and builds until each gets some type of release. Anderson guides us through it every step of the way with his beautiful transitions and his choice of music which sets the tone and fits perfectly.
Of course as hard as every character tries they cannot bury the past. They most face their demons as we all do. The raw emotion of seeing each character deal with their circumstance in their own way engages us in yet another way emotionally with Magnolia. Every actor does a tremendous job of conveying these emotions in their respective scenes. In fact there is not a bad performance in Magnolia. Cruise, Moore, Hall, Reilly, Hoffman, and Walters are each brilliant. Each also have emotional scenes to showcase their talent. This is something else that Anderson should be given a lot of credit for. Similar to Tarantino he rarely, if ever, has bad performances in his films. I believe this is because of the characters he creates. They are so well fleshed out that if you simply put them in the hands of a capable actor then he receives a great performance.
It is hard of course to pick a favorite scene in a movie you love so much, but for me the best scene in Magnolia is the musical interlude. I have read many negative things about this scene but for me it fits the film perfectly. It comes at a moment when Anderson wants us to know that the characters are having an emotional release. Maybe I am in the minority but many times in my life when I have needed such a release it has happened when I was by myself and listening to a song that effects me. Exactly the way it happens for the characters in Magnolia. The song comes at a perfect time, it is the perfect song, and it is a joy to watch.
Concerning the frogs. Another device that has been decried by critics. Like the song I again think it is simple and well handled. In Exodus God sent plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh would let his people, or children, go. Simple but effective symbolism used here by Anderson. The characters in this film are in bondage. They have been held in bondage by someone in their life. They need to be freed. Some may have a better or deeper take on this sequence. For me it was simple, it was effective, and once again handled amazingly by Anderson.
In my estimation Magnolia is nothing short of perfect. I love going on this journey, as emotionally draining as it may be, with the characters. As stated above I do not think there is better film out there at dealing with raw humanity. The characters and themes are complex and must be experienced, probably many times, to be unraveled. It is well worth the effort if you have any interest in experiencing film on a emotional level.
1999
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: John C Reilly, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Phillip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H Macy
"Its a dangerous thing to confuse children with angels."
" The most useless thing in the world is what's behind me."
"I have sickness all around me and you ask me my life."
"This is the regret that you make."
"And we may be through with the past but the past is not through with us."
" Sometimes people need a little help, sometimes they need to be forgiven, and sometimes they need to go to jail."
Exodous 8:2
If you have not seen Magnolia it is very hard to get a grasp for the narrative from a normal plot summary. We have two older men at the end of their lives who want to make amends with their children. We have two child game show prodigies. One who was that years ago and is trying to deal with the fact that he no longer is. The other who is trying to deal with the pressure of being one now, most of that pressure coming from an overbearing father. We have a lonely cop who wants nothing more from life than to do the right thing and meet the right women. The film transitions quickly from story to story. It does so perfectly and this is all because of Anderson's direction. I don't think I have ever seen a better directed film. To juggle so many moving parts yet keep them all running seamlessly while still engaging the audience emotionally is directing perfection.
Magnolia does engage you emotionally right from the start. If it doesn't you will probably not enjoy this film. If it does you will probably have the reaction that many have over the years. No character is wasted in Magnolia and every single one is drawn perfectly. All of the characters are shown dealing with something from their past that has effected all aspects of their life. As we learn what those circumstance are we gain understanding of their psyche and connect with them. The first half of the film is spent building this theme of dealing with the past. The torment that each character is going through builds and builds until each gets some type of release. Anderson guides us through it every step of the way with his beautiful transitions and his choice of music which sets the tone and fits perfectly.
Of course as hard as every character tries they cannot bury the past. They most face their demons as we all do. The raw emotion of seeing each character deal with their circumstance in their own way engages us in yet another way emotionally with Magnolia. Every actor does a tremendous job of conveying these emotions in their respective scenes. In fact there is not a bad performance in Magnolia. Cruise, Moore, Hall, Reilly, Hoffman, and Walters are each brilliant. Each also have emotional scenes to showcase their talent. This is something else that Anderson should be given a lot of credit for. Similar to Tarantino he rarely, if ever, has bad performances in his films. I believe this is because of the characters he creates. They are so well fleshed out that if you simply put them in the hands of a capable actor then he receives a great performance.
It is hard of course to pick a favorite scene in a movie you love so much, but for me the best scene in Magnolia is the musical interlude. I have read many negative things about this scene but for me it fits the film perfectly. It comes at a moment when Anderson wants us to know that the characters are having an emotional release. Maybe I am in the minority but many times in my life when I have needed such a release it has happened when I was by myself and listening to a song that effects me. Exactly the way it happens for the characters in Magnolia. The song comes at a perfect time, it is the perfect song, and it is a joy to watch.
Concerning the frogs. Another device that has been decried by critics. Like the song I again think it is simple and well handled. In Exodus God sent plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh would let his people, or children, go. Simple but effective symbolism used here by Anderson. The characters in this film are in bondage. They have been held in bondage by someone in their life. They need to be freed. Some may have a better or deeper take on this sequence. For me it was simple, it was effective, and once again handled amazingly by Anderson.
In my estimation Magnolia is nothing short of perfect. I love going on this journey, as emotionally draining as it may be, with the characters. As stated above I do not think there is better film out there at dealing with raw humanity. The characters and themes are complex and must be experienced, probably many times, to be unraveled. It is well worth the effort if you have any interest in experiencing film on a emotional level.