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Magnolia (2 Disc Box Set) [1999] [DVD]starring: Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
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Editorial Review: Amazon.co.uk Review: A handful of people in California's San Fernando Valley are having one hell of a day. TV mogul Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is on his deathbed and his trophy wife (Julianne Moore) is stockpiling tranquilliser prescriptions all over town with alarming determination. Earl's nurse (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is trying desperately to get in touch with Earl's only son, sex-guru Frank TJ Mackey (Tom Cruise), who's about to have his carefully constructed past blown by a TV reporter (April Grace). Whiz kid Stanley (Jeremy Blackman) is being goaded by his selfish dad into breaking the record for the game show What Do Kids Know? Meanwhile, Stanley's predecessor, the grown-up quiz kid Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) has lost his job and is nursing a severe case of unrequited love. And the host of What Do Kids Know?, the affable Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), like Earl, is dying of cancer, and his attempt to reconcile with his cokehead daughter (Melora Walters) fails miserably. She, meanwhile, is running hot and cold with a cop (John C. Reilly) who would love to date her, if she can sit still for long enough. And over it all, a foreboding sky threatens to pour something more than just rain. This third feature from Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights) is a maddening, magnificent piece of film-making, and an ensemble film to rank with the best of Robert Altman (Short Cuts, Nashville)--every little piece of the film means something, solidly placed for a reason. Deftly juggling a breathtaking ensemble of actors, Anderson crafts a tale of neglectful parents, resentful children, and love-starved souls that's amazing in scope, both thematically and emotionally. Part of the charge of Magnolia is seeing exactly how many characters Anderson can juggle, and can he keep all those balls in the air (indeed he can, even if it means throwing frogs into the mix). And it's been far too long since we've seen a film-maker whose love of making movies is so purely joyful. This electric energy is reflected in the actors, from Cruise's revelatory performance to Reilly's quietly powerful turn as the moral centre of the story. While at three hours it's definitely not suited to everyone's taste, Magnolia is a compelling, heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful meditation on the accidents of chance that make up our lives. The soundtrack features eight wonderful songs by Aimee Mann, including "Save Me", around which Anderson built the script. --Mark Englehart Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Wise upA love it or hate it film, to judge by the reviews on here. Some people even hated Aimee Mann's magnificent soundtrack. I loved it, and I loved the film. A great film, the greatest yet by P.T.Anderson, strange that the more recent "There Will Be Blood" seemed less accomplished for all its merits, and it was a less complicated film than this one. Roughly speaking "Magnolia" sketches the lives of a group of people whose lives are interconnected in various ways. They share various similar experiences ... Read More Rating:  - What a load of Tosh!This ranks with one of the most pointless, drawn out films I have ever watched. After a promising opening sequence one is left with the anticipation that something entertaining will develop. Don't wait! Switch it off 4 minutes in or find something more exciting to do - anything will qualify! This film was made with a great cast, but the script and direction falls into that unnerving category where the expert reviewers must have watched another film with the same title. Rating:  - Waited 3 hours for the point of the film, didnt get itI like a wide variety of films, I love many Academy Award films, however this just didnt do it for me. I get the logic behind it, I get why it won awards, I see what the good reviews are getting at. Unfortunately I just found it dull. I waited and waited for the 'climax' as described, I just never got what I was hoping for. Rating: - OMGI read a lot - at least by most people's standards. And I watch quite a few films. And the vast majority of what i read/watch leaves me feeling just so-so. Take it or leave it. Though now and then I'll think something is good. Maybe very good. Five-stars-out-of-five good. And then - very, very occasionally - you come across something which is another-order-of-magnitude good. Something which just takes your breath away and doesn't give it back until you turn the last page or watch the closing ... Read More Rating: - Dull, just plain dullUsually I love deep, dialogue driven movies and this film is indeed well acted with a good cast ..... but thats about it. Other than than that, this is one of the dullest film that I have ever watched. So dull that I cant bring myself to comment on this film any longer. Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display
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