Magnolia

Magnolia
Cast: Tom Cruise
Studio: New Line
Rating: 4.5/10

Magnolia is the perfect example of why it is that reviews don’t mean a thing. I heard everyone raving about this movie like it was the second coming of Christ, but I saw it and thought it was a terrible mess of a film. I’ve even seen it in some people’s top ten lists! It was too long, just too sprawling and flat. There are no less than nine main characters. The ensemble is brilliant; too bad they are so drawn out. Don’t get me wrong, if this movie were an hour shorter, it probably would have made all the difference in the world. There are spots of brilliance, but sporadic spurts of cinematic genius don’t make for an entire work of art.

It seems Paul Thomas Anderson hasn’t learned from the mistakes of his past. Though Boogie Nights was a great film, it was not without fault. It is usually after such brilliance gone array that the next shot is much better and more focused. Magnolia is not.

The opening of the film showed promise. It drew me in the same way I’d stare at an accident scene while driving by. You can’t keep your eyes off of it. The dark comedy-drama-whatever flowed in the beginning, but as they try to develop characters it gets lost, tossing us around more than a soap opera.

The positive: Tom Cruise and William H. Macy. Cruise plays Frank Mackey, a love guru who teaches man how to seduce and score with any woman they want. He is so brash, cocky, and over the top that you want to take him in the back alley and beat him to a pulp. He is brilliant. This is the best acting I’ve ever seen out of this guy. He is so believable that I still think I hate him right this minute. Then there is Macy. He plays a sexually frustrated guy who was once a kid genius named Donnie Smith. Everyone recognizes him as “the smart kid from the tv,” but he can’t even keep his job at a local electronics store. His character is a welcome mat and this performance is brilliant. Macy is one of the most versatile actors today. Bravo for the chances he takes and the characters he brings to life.

It’s just too bad that so many good pieces, so much good acting, goes to waste in a film that is simply longer than it should be. It goes from perfect to silly. At my screening, people began walking out at the one-hour mark. By the time the film ended, only half of the full house remained. That speaks volumes. In my opinion, it doesn’t live up to the hype. This is the biggest disappointment I’ve witnessed all year.

+ charlie craine


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