Skip to main content

Review: Magnolia (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

Now THAT is a film that leaves an impression - not only for its bat-shit crazy ending but also for its mesmerizingly operatic entirety. An interwoven epic following the trials and tribulations of an ensemble of characters in the San Fernando Valley, Magnolia is a film that could only have been crafted by the deft hand of Paul Thomas Anderson. Equally amazing, the film boasts powerhouse performances by pretty much every one of its extensive cast making its close to three-hour run-time no challenge to get through.
 
Magnolia is the type of film that long essays can easily be written about. Though there are some more direct connections between the characters one learns of as the film progresses, it is in the indirect, yet underlying, threads that connect the cast of characters together and the film itself as a whole. These are all individuals who are very much still struggling with their identity in the world. One major theme is the prolonged impact that negative actions by a parent can have on a child. This may be in the form of abandonment and neglect, cruelty, or possible molestation. As evidenced by a number of these characters, the harm that is done to the child can stay with them for a lifetime and influence who they become as an adult. In many cases, the parent too eventually realizes the effect of their actions. In other places in the film, characters struggle with love and the fight to find someone to connect with in the world, this loss replaced with drugs, obsessive quirks and behavioural issues. Plotwise, much of the film is centred in the entertainment industry, specifically a long-running quiz show (and its host and contestants), its television tycoon producer, and an infomercial male-oriented love guru. Of the large cast mentioned, Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Julianne Moore and Melora Walters were particular standouts for me (though Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilley and William H. Macy are each great too).

Much of the appeal of the film is in its confident execution by PTA who both wrote and directed the film. Magnolia has an overly memorable prologue that sets the stage for the film's key theme, it has a unique and moving musical segment in its climax, and then, at its end, it has its profound, biblical-esque ending. Tie these three elements with the cast's performances, a score filled with gravitas and emotion, and PTA's script and esteemed camera movement (whip pans and tracking shots galore) and you've not only got an excellent film but one that is daring to break the mold and push the boundary of what we perceive as great cinema.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The New Mutants (2020)

The New Mutants (2020) TLDR: A sad, dismal final chapter in Fox's once-acclaimed X-Men saga. The New Mutants shows promise in fragments, but its poor script and plot and often awkward execution makes for a sickly overall package that is quite fitting for this equally-sickly year that it has finally been released in... The New Mutants were an alt-X-Men team created in the early 80's in an effort to revamp and re-contemporize a new team of teenage X-Men. The new series became a smash-hit with new star mutants like Magik, Cannonball, Sunspot, Wolfsbane and Mirage, all of whom continue to headline Marvel comics to this day. Josh Boone's The New Mutants, which was announced more than five years ago and shot in 2017, has finally seen the light of day in 2020... The film seeks to adapt the team's beloved 'Demon Bear' storyline, while introducing audiences to this fresh team of mutant superheroes. In doing so, Boone tries to create an omelet-homage from the likes of Ste...

Review: The Before Trilogy (1995, 2004, 2013)

The Before Trilogy TLDR: As a whole, and in each of its separate parts, Richard Linklater's 'Before Trilogy' is the cinematic experience in its absolute finest form. The story of Celine and Jesse speaks to the core of the human experience - surprising joys, inevitable obstacles and eventual pains, and, most importantly, the mystery and intrigue of love - and it does it in an affecting way that, almost unlike any other film, is simultaneously theatrical and also remarkably raw and realistic.  "It's just, people have these romantic projections they put on everything. That's not based on any kind of reality." - Jesse, Before Sunrise Even more than the multitudes of other incredible introspective bits of wisdom and philosophy that Celine and Jesse converse in across the three movies, this quote perhaps sums up the trilogy best of all. What are romance movies other than certain individuals' projections of what romance - often, idealized romance - is. Most o...

Review: Whiplash (2012)

Whiplash (2012) TLDR: On multiple levels Whiplash is a brilliant film. A dual character study. An ode to jazz music supremacy. And a cautionary (or inspiring?) tale of what it takes to become the world's greatest. In an instant, Whiplash cements Damien Chazelle as one of today's youngest and most talented filmmakers brimming with artistry, intensity and craftsmanship. This is not one to miss. It was surprising that the first time I saw Whiplash, I left the theatre with a slightly nauseous feeling in my gut. Not because of the film itself - its visuals or audio per se - there is nothing to criticize about its radiance. It was in its simple yet utterly-effective and haunting discussion of what it takes to become the greatest in one's field that left me feeling torn and conflicted. While most of the film seems to be a cautionary or reprimanding tale of jazz instructor Fletcher's (JK Simmons) brutal methods of 'mentorship', its ending posits perhaps an equally stron...