Review of Magnolia (1999) by Kurt B — 04 Dec 2010
Magnolia is my favorite film of all time. Paul Thomas Anderson put together an epic cast that elicits maximum emotion, from Jeremy Blackwell's troubled boy genius to Jason Robards (in his final film) as the tycoon reflecting on his mistakes at the end of his life.
Tom Cruise was nominated for a best supporting Oscar for his turn as a hateful, misogynist who's made a career as a self-help guru teaching men to score with women. The entire cast was deserving of nominations but the true heart of the film lies in the romance between John C.
Reilly (a dull cop looking for love) and Melora Walters (a drug addict with an upsetting past). Aimee Mann's haunting lyrics and Jon Brion's classical score are as beautiful as they are unsettling.
From Ricky Jay's opening narration to that closing smile Magnolia is perfect. Oh, and don't spoil that climax.
This review of Magnolia (1999) was written by Kurt B on 04 Dec 2010.
Magnolia has generally received positive reviews.
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