With Magnolia, director Paul Thomas Anderson has segued into the realm
of the three hour movie. It's an ambitious step to take - making lengthy,
ensemble movies with tangentially related and occasionally interconnected
storylines can be a risky endeavor, both creatively and financially. When it
works and everything snaps into focus, the rewards can be great, but when it
fails, the finished product often looks worse than the mangled wreckage of a
head-on car crash. Fortunately, Anderson has a deft hand when it comes to
filmmaking, and this project does not tax his talent beyond the breaking point.
Magnolia is a fascinating and worthwhile motion picture that manages to
keep viewers interested in the plights of ten different characters for nearly
its full length - right up to and through the improbable climax.
Anderson is one of only a few recent directors who has shown growth in each
of his first three outings. His motion picture debut, Hard
Eight, was an intriguing but uneven character study of an older man and
his surrogate son. Boogie
Nights pulled no punches in chronicling the rise and fall of a top porn
star during the late '70s and early '80s. Now, Magnolia presents a
slice-of-life look at a group of characters whose fates are intertwined even
though their paths don't necessarily intersect during the course of this film.
One can argue whether Boogie Nights or Magnolia is the more
accomplished feature, but there's no debating that Magnolia represents
the greater challenge. It also features one of the most audacious plot
developments ever to grace the silver screen. Anderson does something so
outrageous during the film's final 30 minutes that jaws will drop throughout the
theater.
In order to get a sense of where Magnolia is going, it is necessary to
introduce the various characters. At the center of events is Earl Partridge
(Jason Robards), a television producer who, stricken by cancer, lies on his
deathbed. His young wife, Linda (Julianne Moore), is desolate with grief and
guilt, and has trouble coping with her impending loss. His estranged son, Frank
Mackey (Tom Cruise), the charismatic guru of the "Seduce and Destroy" lifestyle,
has worked hard to sever all connections with Earl. His nurse, Phil Parma
(Philip Seymour Hoffman), seeks to fulfill his employer's dying wish and reunite
him with Frank. Meanwhile, Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), who is the host of
Earl's most popular TV show, the long-running "What Do Kids Know?", also has
terminal cancer. Like Earl and Frank, a rift exists between him and his child.
When he attempts a reconciliation with Claudia (Melora Walters), she rebuffs
him. Later, she embarks on a strange relationship with a gentle but ineffectual
police officer, Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly). And Jimmy must explain to his
wife, Rose (Melinda Dillon), why Claudia hates him so intensely. At the same
time, Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman), a child genius on Jimmy's show, finds
that the only way to get his father's attention is to win money. And, as Stanley
continues to answer questions right, a former quiz show star, Donnie Smith
(William H. Macy), watches the remains of his life go up in smoke. Together,
these characters make up the leaves and branches of this tree.
In essence, Magnolia deals with the effects of physical and spiritual
cancer on individuals and families. Earl and Jimmy, who are in many ways mirror
images of each other, are afflicted with both forms of the malady. And, while
their bodies have previously been untouched, they have been emotionally diseased
for years. Like a reverse Midas touch, this malaise has spread to everyone close
to them. Claudia is a drug abuser with no self-confidence. Frank hides behinds a
misogynist image he has created. Linda is suicidal. Even the ex-quiz kid and
current contestant on "What Do Kids Know?" have deep-rooted problems. The only
exemptions to this pervasive ailment of the soul are Jim Kurring and Phil Parma,
who do not have lasting connections to any of the other characters.
Three hours is a long time to keep an audience involved, and Anderson almost
pulls it off. There is a bit of a lag during the early part of the third hour,
but a surprising incident of almost Biblical proportions re-invigorates the
proceedings. This will undoubtedly be the most hotly debated aspect of the film.
For some, it will ruin an otherwise keenly observed study of human behavior and
interaction. However, for those who share my opinion, it will elevate the movie
to a new level. Nothing prepared me for Magnolia's conclusion, and for
that I am grateful.
One of the reasons the movie's energy level remains high is because of the
way Anderson and cinematographer Robert Elswit (who collaborated on Hard
Eight and Boogie Nights) vary Magnolia's visual style. Aside
from the usual variety of quick cuts and close-ups, there are an unusually large
number of long, unbroken takes. One is a tracking shot that follows different
characters through the behind-the-scenes halls of the quiz show. Another keeps
the camera in a room while two characters drift in and out. There are also some
oddball moments, such as when characters sing along with a song on the
soundtrack. In fact, music in general plays an important part in Anderson's
approach. Not only are Aimee Mann's songs carefully woven into the movie's
fabric, but the score, by Jon Brion, is almost omnipresent. During
Magnolia's first two hours, nearly every scene has background music. Only
during the third hour are there a significant number of traditionally scored
sequences.
Although Magnolia's ending will generate most of the film's buzz, the
movie begins with an enjoyably offbeat prologue that is set across three time
periods: 1911 (with the hanging of three criminals), 1958 (with the homicide of
a man attempting to commit suicide), and the early 1980s (with the inadvertent
death of a man in a fire fighting operation). These three disconnected segments
are meant to illustrate that some events, regardless of how strange or
hard-to-swallow they may be, occur simply as a matter of chance. In a universe
of infinite possibilities, all things, no matter how improbable, can happen. In
addition to being interesting in their own right, these pre-title sequences help
prepare the audience for what will occur 150 minutes later.
In a film of many strengths, nothing ranks higher in Magnolia than the
quality of acting. From top to bottom, there isn't a weak link in the cast.
However, when it comes to Oscar nominations, the movie will likely have a
problem. Because this is an ensemble piece, with nearly everyone getting equal
time, there are no leads, and everyone can't be nominated in the supporting
categories. Regardless of what the Academy decides, that doesn't negate the fact
that there are several deserving performers. Leading the list is Tom Cruise, who
gives one of the best performances of his career (if not the best). Those
disappointed by the actor's work in the recent Kubrick film will have their eyes
opened wide by his effort here. He plays Frank with the fervor of an evangelist,
and it's a riveting portrayal. Equally effective are Jason Robards and Melora
Walters, and the rest of the acting troupe isn't far behind.
For Magnolia, Anderson has brought on board a number of repeat
contributors. A significant portion of the cast of Boogie Nights has been
re-united, including Julianne Moore, Melora Walters, John C. Reilly, William H.
Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Luis Guzman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Alfred Molina.
Of those, four - Walters, Reilly, Hoffman, and Hall - also appeared in Hard
Eight. It's a testimony to the director's craft and dedication that so many
fine actors have sought additional opportunities to work with him.
Not since Robert Altman's Short
Cuts have we seen such a finely-tuned ensemble piece. Yet a direct
comparison between the two films would be somewhat misleading. Thematically, at
least when considering the role played by chance, there are similarities, but
Altman used a different, more languid style than Anderson does. Magnolia
is a kinetic picture that doesn't stop moving and rarely stays with one story
for more than a couple of minutes before moving to the next. This approach
allows us to get to know the principals quickly, and keeps us engaged by all of
the storylines. (The tendency in this sort of movie is for the viewer to focus
on one or two characters, and, in the process, lose interest in the rest.)
Magnolia is admittedly not for everyone, but those who "get" the film are
in for something that ranks as more of a cinematic experience than a mere movie.
From
movie-reviews.colossus.net
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