Respect the c..... (Magnolia (DVD))

Name: sjen5en

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Product:	Magnolia (DVD)
Date:	17/09/01 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb performances, Soundtrack

Disadvantages: Slow in places

Ah, it's Mr Paul Thomas Anderson again! This guy always seems to struggle with notions of time. Where Hard Eight ended when it finally got going, and Boogie Nights went on for just that little bit tooooo long, Magnolia comes weighing in at roughly 3hrs long. And even then, granted I only felt this on my first viewing, I wanted it to go on for even longer!

The film is set during one day in the life of eight different characters who, in one way or another are connected. Tom Cruise is absolutely sublime as the Sex Guru and thoroughly deserves his Golden Globe Award and should've got the Oscar too. The always impressive William H Macy and Paul Seymour Hoffman also hand in great performances. A sad and poignant tone of the film is the somewhat prophetic performance of the late Jason Robards - his appearance as the man dying of cancer was to be his last.

The film's direction is superb, the camera smoothly glides around, creeping up on the characters as they go through their states of chaos. The story never drags, but it is dialogue heavy in places, whereas in other parts, maximum impact is reliant on the parts left unsaid, where the camera just holds on the characters expressions as the story unfolds.

I won't give away too much about the ending, as it is one of the most unexpected endings ever, but it is worth getting that far. Tolling up at 3hrs+ may give you a bit of a sore bum, and attention may want to wonder, but this is pure art. Oh, and don't forget about that soundtrack: a gem.

Summary: