Review of Magnolia (1999) by Jillian L — 01 Sep 2014

So this is one of those "you need to see this if you're a movie person" type things. It was 11 PM the other night and I was like "ok let's give it a shot." I had no idea it was three hours long.

And it feels three hours long. Not in the bad, dragging way, but you can feel how long it is. However, I did like the three act structure it had going on, and how each section has its own arc within the whole.

Really smart writing and directing there. The way all of these interconnected people's stories weave in and out of each other is nothing short of masterful. It's a little scattered and confusing in the beginning, but once you get about twenty minutes in, everything starts to click, and it just keeps going from there.

So, nice job from Paul Thomas Anderson on that. The ensemble cast is wonderful to watch. Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, and more. Tom Cruise? I think this is the best thing I've seen him in.

Overall, this is one of those "I really liked it, but I don't know if I would watch it again" type movies. You know what I mean? But. It is definitely worth that first watch.