Film Review: Magnolia (1999)

At the turn of millennium Paul Thomas Anderson was often viewed as that period’s Orson Welles – an immensely talented cinema wunderkind who produced a grand film that won Best Picture Oscar nomination and achieving that before the age of thirty. Anderson’s achievement, at least in terms of quantity, was even grander than Welles’ with Citizen Kane. He made not only one but two highly praised films often hailed as masterpieces. The first was Boogie Nights in 1997, followed by Magnolia two years later.

The plot is set in San Fernando Valley and follows a day in life of various characters who are, without knowing, connected through What Kids Do Know, television quiz show. Earl Partridge (played by Jason Robards), once powerful producer of the show, is dying from cancer and is being tended on deathbed by his loyal nurse Phil Pharma (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman). Earl’s much younger trophy wife Linda (played by Julianne Moore) has married him only for money and was never faithful, but now suddenly realises that she genuinely loves him and out of remorse tries to find comfort in drugs. Phil tries to fulfil old man’s dying wish and track down his estranged son Frank T. J. McKay (played by Tom Cruise), who has renounced his father and made his way as misogynistic pick up artist and self-help guru. In the meantime, show’s host Jimmy Gator (played by Philip Baker Hall) finds problems both on and outside set; he tries to make contact with runaway daughter Claudia (played by Mellora Walters) who became a cocaine addict. She is, due to playing loud music, visited by policeman Jim Kuring (played by John C. Reilly) who immediately falls in love with her. Wunderkind show contestant Stanley Spector (played by Jeremy Blackman) faces the fact that she became only a source of income to his greedy father, while the former, now adult show winner Donnie Williams (played by William H. Macy) has just lost the job and turns into emotional wreck.

A lot of critics have been comparing Magnolia to Short Cuts, Robert Altman’s highly acclaimed film made six years earlier. Most of the similarities can be found in the setting and episodic narrative structure. Magnolia, on the other hand, has much tighter plot and prologue, depicting various deadly incidents based on urban legends, immediately sets the theme of human frailty and the role chance and natural forces can have in people’s lives. Anderson has also put much more emphasis on style, including the trademark long tracking shots that allow for introduction of large number of character. Cinematography by Roger Elswith creates specific atmosphere, also helped by songs composed by Anderson’s friend Aimee Mann.

What ultimately brings audience’s attention is large and impressive ensemble cast. Anderson has made reputation of a director who prefers relying on character and supporting actors rather than stars. Here he uses cast of his previous films, with Mellora Walters, Phillip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly and Julianne Moore standing out with another set of impressive performances. The only true star is Tom Cruise, but here he seems both relaxed and thrilled with opportunity to play character which is, for a change, not entirely likeable. His work gained him Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Perhaps most moving performance comes from Jason Robards for whom the role of dying producer was the last in his career; he, like the character he was playing, had terminal cancer and died a year after premiere. Anderson would later use WW2 anectodes Robards used to tell at the set as inspiration for his 2012 film Master.

Magnolia is very good film, but it had its share of controversies and detractors, with some critics being significantly less enthusiastic to it in comparison with Boogie Nights. The main source of controversy is bizarre ending, which looked like Anderson’s attempt to use deus ex machina as a way to close various plots that he couldn’t have handle in more conventional or natural way. The ending, however, isn’t that distracting as some of Anderson’s decisions used in the middle of the film. This includes scene during which characters break into Aimee Mann’s theme song, which makes Magnolia look less as realistic drama and more as overly pretentious art film. However, despite those flaws and more than three hours of running time that might be a challenge to some less patient viewers, this is the film which clearly shows great talent and still possesses ability to touch hearts among many in the audience.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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