Magnolia (film): wonderful mix of stories
The official description of this movie is " a mosaic of interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness and meaning." That pretty accurately describes the film because at first it is really difficult to imagine how all of these various stories and characters could possibly have anything to do with one-another.... until they do.
With such a star-studded lineup, it is easy to understand how this film could end up being a winner. It bet it was also a bit of a nightmare for director Paul Thomas Anderson who had to manage all of those egos at the same time. The actors include such names as Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, and John C. Reilly. They all give fantastic performances but I primarily have to point to Tom Cruise and William H. Macy as most outstanding.
I was particularly surprised by Tom Cruise (and i might be in the minority here) but i don't generally consider him a great actor as i feel his is more of a mass-producers of action films.
I'm not going to get into the individual stories but I will just say that each of them is a good one and they mix together well towards the end in the finale. While most of the stories are pretty far fetched, they all incorporate some aspects of daily life that make you reflect on your own life long after the movie is over. I like it when films can accomplish this and is a great reason to give this one a go.
Magnolia struggled at the box office and it wasn't until after being nominated for many awards, including Grammys and Oscars that the film made its money back and a decent profit (nothing huge though.)
I actually don't like the trailer very much because it reveals too much but whatever.
"to manage all of those egos"
To be honest, the actors you mention were part of Anderson's regular troupe of actors that Anderson had used before, so I doubt he had trouble with them, apart from maybe Cruise, who was new, and who probably is a bit of an ego, but also an artist. And being an artist, Anderson got the best work out of Cruise that he's ever given.
There's a reason for that, I think, which is that Cruise himself is part of Anderson's universe, a man who fights the battles between the freedom and individualism of ego and the community of family and religion.
Family is always at the heart of an Anderson movie: the way it effs you up when it's dysfunctional, and the way it repairs you, especially if you create your own. In fact, Anderson always brings to mind English poet Philip Larkin, who wrote, more simply, in "This be the Verse:"
"They f--k you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you."
In fact, there is a poetry and symmetry at the heart of every Anderson plot, and sometimes even a literal poet to guide us through it, as with the little rapper kid in this movie. Let's just say, if John C Reilly's cop had paid attention to the kid's rap, he would have learned a LOT lol.
Tom Cruise has never been better than in this movie, playing a typical explosive Anderson individualist, driven by disruption due to his dysfunctional family, searching for meaning and repair in all the wrong places, repeating the past. Another Anderson theme.
Sadly, Anderson and Cruise, who have so much in common thematically, will probably never work together again, on account of Anderson choosing to explore the familial dysfunction at the heart of a Scientology type religion, in "The Master."
Anderson's perpetual question is always: who is our master? Ourselves? God? Fate? Family? Love?
Anderson is genius, but an isolated one. Not a single one of his films has grossed more than $40 million domestic, or $80 million worldwide. Unlike Christopher Nolan, another genius of modern cinema who's film you review today, he has not combined his artistic inclinations with a knowledge of the genre expectations that power audiences to book tickets.
Still, when actors work with him, it's not for money, but for legacy. Like Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler also took a pay cut to work with Anderson, and also leaves behind him one of his most resonant films in "Punch Drunk Love."
I hope Anderson continues to elevate genre actors with his art, and that they continue to support him, so he can finance more films. :)
beautiful follow-up pal. As always your words resonate heavier than my own.
Love this film!
PTA crushes it.
Agree, perhaps Cruise's best performance.
Hiii..gooddream
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Outstanding Film..This is my favorite film of all time. I find myself in every character (and even especially those I dislike) and have so much emotional truth in the enterprise that it is hardly above all, melodramatic, operative, contrived / coincidious or cosmic to all things - maybe that point - it's reaching you on a personal scale For a massive scale that takes something like that.
Tom Cruise movies are always wonderful. i like tom cruise movies and it is also outstanding
Really it's a woderful movie. I always like Tom's movie. Thanks for your beautiful review.
Superb film..that is my favourite film of all time. I locate myself in each character (or even mainly the ones I dislike) and have so much Emotional truth inside the organisation that it's far infrequently specially, melodramatic, operative, contrived coincidious or cosmic to all things - maybe that factor - it is achieving you on a private scale For a huge scale that takes something like that.