Review of Magnolia (1999) by Kenr — 27 Jan 2021

Magnolia has some good performances, some good cinematography, was Oscar-nominated, but what about its story...or some worthiness? If you enjoy a lot of actor abuse, verbal abuse (even professional child abuse) you could somehow like this movie. If you've ever wondered what a movie might be like that's written and directed by a self-confessed cocaine user, under-aged pornography addict, as well as being, Quote; “my favourite filmmaker copycat” - then this could be getting close to realising your dream (perhaps this might also sadly sum up Hollywood today and some audiences) Have tried to sit this through several times (only because of the cast and the hugely conflicting reviews!) but each time was left wanting to throw something at the screen or run screaming from the room. 'Over-everything' is one description that readily comes to mind but, other unprintable ones are first and foremost. Many others have neatly summed-up this tosh very well but few can ever do it the justice it deserves. Writer/director P.T. Anderson can’t even write a single paragraph that's not filled with vulgar language or unnecessary four-letter words and 90% of his characters are not worth caring for.

Maybe this could be another example of the modern Academies short-sightedness spotlighting one of the reasons why so many patrons stopped going to the movies around this time, also why many movies of this ilk don't deliver the good returns expected. If your life is so uneventful that you can throw away over three (yes 3) laborious hours of visual splendour being wasted on a theme so repugnantly ugly - then you're welcome to this excruciatingly heavy-handed overindulgence. The movie plays out like several movies in one, with none of them much good or making much sense when edited together - mild interest soon gives way to boredom. As for the director’s favourite singer being played endlessly in the background, this just becomes another annoyance. When a moviemaker publicly makes a statement like: "I'll make pretty good movies the rest of my life but I guess Magnolia is, for better or worse, the best movie I'll ever make". Then please let me say: Stay out of our lives P.T. Anderson - way out. But of course, those either on the payroll or who consider themselves as knowing better than most will disagree.