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This is one of those movies that is made up of several stories
about interconnected characters that never really adds to up
to one interesting movie. This concept worked very well with
Pulp Fiction and also in 1999's largely ignored Playing by Heart.
But Magnolia suffers from having just too many characters and
for having a backseat numbing 3 hour 5 minute running time.
It would take too long to explain the characters and their
connections here. Suffice to say that the movie revolves around
two extended families whose respective patriarchs (screen old
timers Jason Robards and Philip Baker Hall) are realising their
inevitable mortality and are looking mend the rifts in their
families before its too late. Notwithstanding the terrible things
these men may or may not have done in the past, it is easy to
see how the arguments started in the first place. This film
is almost entirely populated by characters who over react to
everything. Melora Walters snorts coke at the first sign of
trouble, William H. Macy blames everyone in sight for his problems,
while Julianne Moore loses the plot with every person to whom
she talks. Not to mention Tom Cruise as sex guru Frank TJ Mackey
who teaches gullible men his 'Seduce and Destroy' tactics for
getting the better of the fairer sex. The only character who
seems to maintain any semblance of sanity is Philip Seymour
Hoffman's good hearted nurse, maybe because he is not actually
related to either of these loony families.
Paul Thomas Anderson tries to make this film a bit too clever,
especially with its theme of 'these strange things happen all
the time' but the tired old stories of the scuba diver in the
tree and the man shot while committing suicide do not add anything
at all to the film and only help it take up still more time.
Mostly, Magnolia does not have story worth sitting through
three hours to see. The main thing that keeps the film watchable
is the all star cast who put in a mostly great acting performance
from which Tom Cruise's Oscar nominated turn does not stand
out noticeably.
A strange and unsatisfying ensemble movie. May appeal to fans
of Robert Altman films.
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