Magnolia

Anderson has confirmed his reputation as the most talented director of the young generation and, as with Boogie Nights, has made a three-hour spectacle that flows by like water. The seemingly disparate patchwork of different human destinies would have crumbled under the hands of another director, but under Anderson's baton it feels extremely cohesive and the viewer doesn't feel lost in the plot. Plus, Anderson managed to make Cruise look a proper actor, which is remarkable. Cruise's portrayal of the successful hyper-macho is magnificent and rightfully awarded an Oscar nomination. The cathartic ending is unforgettable. Long live the frogs. (04/13/2003)

As an objector of excessive duration, I’m frankly surprised with how much fun I had with this long film without a consistent plot. When I read in the synopsis that it was about “nine stories”, I thought that it’d be very complicated, that I would get lost, that I wouldn’t enjoy it, etc… But those nine stories are quite simple and straightforward and could be described in a couple of lines. The script switches among them without forcing it, consciously, clearly, and without ever confusing or cheating the viewer. It’s one of those films that, despite the not very straightforward plot, doesn’t demand you squeeze your brain for the whole three hours, it demands your empathy. If you manage to relate to the stories of those characters, you’ll love Magnolia. Otherwise, the film has four highlights: the very beginning, a long and incredibly well escalated scene right in the middle, the scene with the song and the final story about a frog. These four moments make it deserving of five stars. 90 % (09/09/2010)

Nine instruments that each initially play their own melodies. Nine rays that come down... And a camera that seems to wander aimlessly through the stories of different people, listening and watching here and there... And then suddenly the splinters of melodies and lights begin to resonate, destinies come together, intertwine, stories begin to take shape. Guilt, punishment, forgiveness on the threshold of death. It's amazing how sensitively Anderson managed to capture the nine great catharses of his life, how he managed to escalate Magnolia from the vulgar and fleeting cacophony of the introduction until the twist, when all the characters are connected by singing the song Wise Up. Three hours of an extraordinarily personal and strange story, which already demonstrates its principle in the prologue – some things are simply not a coincidence. Magnolia's meaning is not only in passive viewing - the viewer is encouraged to look for a purpose that is well hidden (see, for example, the rain of frogs). The amazing acting performances work as a magnet, the highlight of which for me is the incomprehensibly strong Cruise in the role of Jack, aka Frank. I never thought he could act so emotionally. In addition, the Czech dubbing was excellent... The only blotch on the beauty of the film remains the fact that it is sometimes too stretched and marked by dead spots. Yet in the midst of a torrent of unreal, it's like that rain of frogs. It just happens! (02/13/2004)

Eight seemingly unconnected main storylines and a couple more subordinate storylines that cut through them all? Three hours long? With Tom Cruise actually acting? Impossible to rein in from the director’s chair? Evidently you haven’t seen Magnolia yet. It has its flies in the ointment, but overall it is very powerful and supported here and there with a scene that gives the impression “as if frogs were falling from the skies". The atmosphere is as engrossing as it is unusual. I thought up a working title for it: Magnolioid. (01/20/2005)

If I were to review Magnolia objectively, I wouldn't be able to give it a rating lower than the highest one. Fortunately, I can evaluate it purely based on my own opinion, and despite Paul Thomas Anderson's flawless direction, I couldn't help but feel that three hours is too long and somewhat unnecessary. Of course, all the storylines are interconnected, and no individual characters could have been removed, but the whole game show, the host, and the genius young man all felt terribly boring to me, and I was looking forward to the story switching to someone else, which unfortunately applies to former contestant William H. Macy as well. On the other hand, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John C. Reilly are amazing, and whenever any of them had the opportunity to showcase their acting skills, I was consistently moved. (09/16/2006)

First and foremost, this film is not as complicated and difficult as it may seem at first glance. But it does have something to it and definitely does not lack originality, inventiveness, many unforgettable scenes and situations, and, last but not least, great performances by almost all of the main actors. (02/15/2005)

Coincidences really do happen every day, and their beauty or evil lies not in how they happen, but how they affect future events. This is exactly what Magnolia achieves, an overwhelming victory of content over form, supported by absolutely brilliant direction and gorgeous performances. For example, what Tom Cruise does here definitely moves him for me from the box of unlikeable stars to the absolute acting elite. Anderson is a filmmaker who has all my sympathies and this magnificent film, despite its length, presents an overwhelming mosaic of human nature, love and hate that completely engulfed me from the first frames and held me tightly until the closing credits. The plot flows incredibly smoothly and you don't even feel like you’re sitting at home in front of the screen, but rather like you’re walking along with all the characters right in the centre of the action. And the moment frogs started falling from the sky, I realized that I was watching one of the most brilliant and thought-provoking films in the history of cinema, which, on the contrary, don't fall from the sky very often. I wish I could make a film like this some day. 100% (02/01/2013)

A breathtaking three-hour film full of perfect performances, lovely music and stories from everyone's life. The plot interweaves the individual fates of the main characters, which collide in the end. Tom Cruise gives the performance of his life, Julianne Moore is simply a great actress and William H. Macy and John C. Reilly caught my attention as well. There are a number of life dramas played out throughout the film that may be familiar to some of us, or even our own. Illness, drugs, depression, complicated family relationships and more! In short, I have to say that Paul Thomas Anderson has done a truly excellent job and Magnolia is one of those films that managed to mentally blow me away and tear me apart. (07/10/2011)

It's a long film that stands on the performances, which are basically without exception excellent. Still, I couldn't get into the film and I don't see anything in it that was all that great. Maybe someday, upon a second watch, but I doubt it. Paul Thomas Anderson is not a director I would seek out. His talent can't be diminished, though. (04/02/2016)

Well that was awesome. To make a three-hour running time where I’m not bored for a moment (and I really wasn't bored for a moment) either takes two directors or P.T. Anderson :)))) A perfect cast (my favorite was Julianne Moore :)), a dense and ingenious script supported by confident direction + a strangely "schematic" soundtrack will keep you hooked and won't let go :))) As a whole, Magnolia works really well and is an irrefutable proof of Paul Thomas Anderson's creative genius. 100% (02/06/2010)