Kattiera Nana
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
ChikPapa
Very disappointed :(
Asad Almond
A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
Pjtaylor-96-138044
For all its in-the-moment emotional impact and bursts of odd, intercut-driven tension, 'Magnolia (1999)' ultimately amounts to very little, even within its own individual stories. It avoids the usual narrative satisfactions under the guise of them being clichés - as opposed to tried-and-tested storytelling techniques - and tries its best to utilise coincidence in an apparently true-to-life way it's determined has not been done before - despite the fact that such coincidences are still clearly crafted to fit a preconceived plot and, therefore, should provide at least some narrative catharsis. As such, the flick almost feels like a waste of the enormous and, as Anderson himself puts it, unmerciful three-hours and eight minutes of your time it takes up. Yet, it does take up those minutes rather amicably, in the sense that the time sort of flies (to an extent) and you do become quite invested in some of the the intertwining tales you're being told, despite the fact that it's all so melodramatic and essentially one-note that it can be hard to take seriously even when it should be at its best - something which isn't helped by the in-your-face and often out-of-place music. The picture also constantly builds to a climax that never really comes, despite the big and all-encompassing event that tail-ends its third act. If it didn't seem like it was telling you how to feel all the time, it would have worked much better. 7/10
richardsmith-74806
Wunderkind Paul Thomas Anderson is today considered an auteur legend but back in 1999 he was the kid everyone kept an eye on- and boy did he deliver with Magnolia. This is an epic ensemble drama film consisting of so many names you'd have to take out your notepad. All the stories are intertwined, and the only constant is the San Fernando Valley. The camerawork is excellent, and a long take taken at a game show setup is a highlight. Magnolia is deeply layered, and many writers and film students have written about their perspective on the film. It is astonishing that a young man of less than 30 could write and direct such an in-depth film.
ahmadnimr
The start of the film is promising about coincidence . After 30 min I saw nothing special but still hopping. Two hours later, just ordinary stories. TV show, one is dying, a girl is inhalting drugs. It is clear that children suffer due to father's sins, so what? What is the solution? The fathers died and the sky rains frogs. The children look satisfied afterwards. Then.. The end.
I was watching with another person, he fell asleep after one hour. I wonder how this rubbish got high rate.
If I compare it with a movie like for example,( dances with wolfs) ad a long movie, this one cannot be even be considered as a professional movie. 3 hours of wasting time ..
martinrking
Magnolia is a very long and complex movie. It contains many themes and issues but it doesn't explore them with much depth. Magnolia ended without giving any new perspectives on its themes. It did leave me bored and impatient. It's impossible not to think when watching Magnolia, why not tackle half these themes, explore them more thoughtfully, say something, ask some questions, and do it in two hours? There are at least three movies contained in Magnolia. Some of the stories are captivating while others are one-dimensional and weightless. Julianne Moore threatens to sink the whole ship with her soap opera-level portrayal of a drug addict with almost-zero characterization. In stark contrast, the characters played by John C. Riley and Tom Cruise could have been entire movies unto themselves. Multiple characters are set up as "bad people" but then the "twist" is that they were abused as children. But as a movie about child abuse, Magnolia has nothing to say at all. Two characters confess that they cheated on their spouses in long monologues. But is Magnolia about infidelity? I don't think so. Is Magnolia about regret? Yes, it's about that, and guilt, parenting, child abuse, substance abuse, law enforcement and crime, honesty, dating, death and dying, child prodigies, show business, unlikely coincidences, loneliness, it never ends!Magnolia is very intense and melodramatic. I don't think intensity and melodrama are substitutes for pathos and insight. The meta-narrative about coincidences and interconnected lives is self-indulgent and self-congratulatory. Magnolia is only bearably watchable from beginning to end because of a few strong performances and excellent cinematography and editing.Ingmar Bergman apparently like this film. Well, if you want a movie about imperfect fathers, check out Bergman's Wild Strawberries. It's way better, and it doesn't have three music videos in it, and it's not over three hours long.