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I am not sure what kind of review this is supposed to be. My Inbox gave me a prompt, I'm not busy, so I figured "why not". The disc was clean. The Box was perfect, it was essentially a brand new DVD. So, I open the DVD case, put the disc in the player, then wait for the previews to start. I don't remember what the previews were about, it doesn't matter since the movie is so old... Anyway, I hit the play button when the option comes about, so the movie starts. The film is one I've seen before but was lacking in my collection. I watched the film from start to finish and it ran all the way through without skipping. The movie is an intertwined story where all the characters come together somehow at the end of the film through happenstance. It is an entertaining flick. I mean it isn't action packed or filled with humor, but it is entertaining. The story is pretty good, well *stories* are pretty good. I like films that have a sort of mysterious yet cerebral quality. This film has that. You pay attention, you're waiting for something to happen, then something happens and you're wondering where it is all headed. Then in the end something comes from left field that you never saw coming and there is a bit of a spiritual element that gets thrown into the mix that you never see coming. This film has the best performance of Tom Cruise's life. It is his best character he's ever played and he does it better than any he has done before or since. William H. Macy kills it, as usual. Phillip Seymour Hoffman does a tremendous job as usual. Julianne Moore did an alright job. She overacts some scenes, but that is a bit of her character also. I just think if she pulled it back a bit it would have been better. Not every dramatic scene. She nails pretty much every scene, but there are a few times where she causes you to lose sight of the character and you see an actress. That may have been the direction she was given, I don't know. But in my opinion she could have been perfect with just a little tweak here and there. The best performance in the film was done by John C. Riley. He is a character actor who plays a lot of comedic roles, so he doesn't get as much attention for his dramatic roles when he does branch out. Although he has been nominated for an Oscar for best supporting. But in this film his performance is very strong. I know cops. I use to live next to one. John C. Riley nailed it. He was the character that I wanted to return to the screen the most as the stories would shift. Melora Walters played John C. Riley's love interest. This duo was gold. The two of them were the most interesting characters. She was just insane for the duration of the film and it worked perfectly. All in all I would say the entire cast put on a very strong performance and the story wasn't half bad either. I loved the film and I happily added it to my ever growing collection. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
NORMALLY I WOULD NEVER WATCH MUCH LESS BUY A MOVIE THAT STARRED TOM CRUISE. THIS MOVIE DID HOWEVER STAR JULIANNE MOORE WHICH IS WHY I BOUGHT IT. NEITHER TOM NOR JULIANNE DISAPPOINTED ME. TOM WAS HORRIBLE. JULIANNE WAS GREAT. THE EDITOR COULD HAVE REMOVED EVERY FRAME OF TOM CRUISE AND ACTUALLY IMPROVED THE MOVIE. THIS MOVIE TO ME RESEMBLES A WELL MADE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT AS IT IS A CLEAR VIEW OF TOTAL DISCONNECTED FOOTAGE OF WHAT REMINDED ME OF ANOTHER BORING MOVIE, THE THIRD MAN. EVEN WITH JULIANNE IT WILL NEVER BE WATCHED FOR A SECOND TIME IN MY HOUSE AND I WILL NOT BOTHER OFFERING IT TO ANY OF MY FRIENDS AS IT WOULD SOIL MY REPUTATION OF PICKING GOOD THINGS. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT THE EDITOR DYLAN TICHENOR HAD A GUN TO HIS HEAD AS THE CONTINUITY SEEMED TO ME TO BE A INTENTIONAL DISASTER. THE SCREEN PLAY MAY HAVE BEEN PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE AS I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ANYONE READING A BOOK WRITTEN FROM THE CONTENT OF THE MOVIE WOULD NOT ROUND FILE IT DURING OR AFTER THE FIRST CHAPTER. MY WIFE WENT TO SLEEP IN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY BUT BRIEFLY RECOVER. I CONSIDER MY WIFE TO BE THE BEST FILM CRITIC I KNOW. IF SHE SMILES AND WATCHES THE WHOLE THING IT IS A GOOD MOVIE AND IF SHE SAYS SHE WOULD WATCH IT AGAIN IT IS A GREAT MOVIE AND AN EXAMPLE OF HER RAVE REVIEW WAS APPLIED TO ANOTHER MOVIE AS A MEASURING STICK "LOVE ACTUALLY". DRAMAS REQUIRE SOME CONTINUITY AND THIS ONE FAILED MISERABLY AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED. MY YOUNGEST BROTHER TOLD ME HE COULD NOT STAND DENNIS FRANZ WHICH SAYS THAT DENNIS DID A TERRIFIC JOB OF BEING THAT PERSON OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS AND RECEIVED MANY AWARDS. MOVIE BAD GUYS ARE NECESSARY AND ARE SELDOM RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR TALENT. IN THIS MOVIE I FIND A WORD FOR TOM AS SLIMY IF I SPELLED THAT RIGHT AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO AWARD FOR THAT.Read full review
Paul Thomas Anderson (director of "Hard Eight" & the acclaimed "Boogie Nights") has poured his extensive film knowledge, distinctive style, and impeccable technique into his ground-breaking motion picture, "Magnolia." His third film is incredibly fast-paced, led by a cohesive string of intense scenes and innovative camera shots. "Magnolia" is a movie that demands the viewer's constant attention, as every little detail means a lot more to the story than perceived at first glance. Aside from being a revolutionary director, P.T. Anderson is also one of the most brilliant screenwriters of our generation. His screenplays are incredibly detailed and complex; they are works of art even before the camera has started rolling. "Magnolia" bears the irreplaceable mark of Paul Thomas Anderson as writer & director, but its artistic success may also be attributed to its magnificent cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Melora Walters, and Tom Cruise to name a few. Jon Brion was in charge of creating the musical score for "Magnolia," which he achieved beautifully. His haunting orchestral arrangements go hand in hand flawlessly with Anderson's emotionally-charged scenes. As a finished product, "Magnolia" is one of the most polished and accomplished motion pictures of the past two decades. Truly a film of epic proportions.Read full review
This is a film about fate and how seemingly unrealated lives are anything but that! Another brilliant ensemble cast featuring Tom Cruz, Jason Robarts, Julienne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, and Luiz Guzman, among others, makes this film by Paul Thomas Anderson run the gauntlet of human emotions. Provocative, insightful, raw, loving and at times funny and certainly ironic. I personally think this is Tom Cruz' BEST role in any of his movies! A must see for those of us who love insightful movies with great ensemble casts and wonderful direction! You WON'T be disappointed!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
PT Anderson proves to be a master of cinema, in writing, cinematography and direction, both of story and actors. Magnolia proves to be his greatest achievement, with characters that make you sympathize for and fall in love with, and story that hooks you in from beginning to end. He twists a conventional way of presenting his movies in the most subtle ways, through interesting camera maneuvers and elements of the story that take a while to settle in before you understand its genius. Just a warning, for those who have not seen it yet, the ending may seem as out of nowhere and pretty much ridiculous. But allow it to settle in and give it a chance. When it's settled in, take in context of the rest of the movie and particularly the story and you'll realize it actually does fit right in. Along with PT Anderson, we have many great supporters of the cast and crew that help it as much. Jon Brion's beautiful and intense score is a landmark achievement, as well as Aimee Mann's excellent songs that serve a great soundtrack. All the performances are top-notch, including Tom Cruise's Oscar nomination, and in my opinion, one of his only truly memorable performances, as well as Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters and Jason Robards, in his last theatrical release, giving iconic performances. Overall, Magnolia is not one to miss, if not just for the moviegoing experience, but for a life experience, by proving to be very philosophical as well as an artistic achievement.Read full review
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