Thoughts on Magnolia

[TimJBart]

I watched it again yesterday and was wondering what everyone thought of it. Any comments/opinions?

I was a little bit confused in places. There were a few unanswered questions for me, even though it went on for 3 hours i wanted it to carry on for a bit and just close off all the stories, i just wanted to know more!

I think William H Macy is amazing in it, he's one of my favourite actors, and a young unknown Tom Cruise put in quite a good performance ;)

[sweevo]

I went to see it at the pictures and was glad when it was all over to be honest !!!!!

Just seemed a bit of a pointless film to me. 3 hours of angst and drama with few conclusions to the various stories to boot.

For some reason the film got excellent ratings from an awful lot of reviewers which is why i gave it a try. Live and learn is the phrase i think... :D

[danrees]

I got the New Line Platinum Magnolia, mainly on the strength of a whole load of reviews. I personally think that it is one of the most-overrated films of recent times, and I am glad to have just got rid of it for Rushmore (even if it is the R2 non-anamorphic version).

I can't help but feel that it's a case of the emperor's new clothes with this film. There is some good acting, some great scenes (I liked the relationship between that young junkie and the policeman played by John C. Reilly) and a good score, but it just seems far too long, with no real point as such.

If the movie is trying to point out how life is full of coincidences and how people share a common need for love, it does succeed. But do we really need three hours of monotonous film to get the point?

[Just Call Me Wanda]

The three hours flew by - fantastic film.

[JamesW]

I found it quite tedious and boring, though I did like the music. I also have a strong hatred of Tom Cruise which doesn't help matters either. I preferred Sidney/Hard Eight and Boogie Nights.

[TimJBart]

i lUVED the music, i think she's called Aimee Mann.

i was left a little deflated the first time i watched it a si had heard how amazing the film was, but when i managed to get myself to watch the whole 3 hours i preferred it the second time:)

[Dear Mr Echo]

Originally posted by Just Call Me Wanda
The three hours flew by - fantastic film.

Same for me. I cannot say particularly what I found so enjoyable about it. Other than the most obvious things I can't say "this film is about..." but the acting, even from Tom Cruise, was uniformly excellent form all the cast. And the more surreal elements just seemed to just fall perfectly into place which is quite remarkable.

We have had many, many threads about Magnolia over the last year and a half or so since it's release and it is a film that totally divides the forums - its a love or hate it experience - I can't remember anyone taking the middle ground on it.

[ColinD]

You can find a mine of magnolia stuff over at www.ptanderson.com

There is lots of hidden stuff in the movie and well worth looking into.

Colin

[jonathan.e]

Aaaaarrggghhhhhh!!!! We sooooo need the search function back.

[davey1970]

i liked this, but prefered Short Cuts, which seems a very similar film to me for some reason (perhaps not really about anything in a conventional sense, and about 3 hrs long).

d

[Me Too]

I loved it :) The Doco is hilarious too :) And watch the colour bars - all of em ;)

[tinder]

....I heard many good things about this film and have to say that I agree with them wholeheartedly...an amazing, touching movie and one that i could empathise with

[Bish]

I really must find time to see this again, I’ve only seen it the once and thought it was quite simple superb. My wife on the other hand thought it was nothing special and about 45 minutes too long. BTW the soundtrack is well worth getting hold of, excellent stuff.

[bazkeane82]

one of the worst overhyped movies i've seen, didn't enjoy it at all, i think you have to have a american sense of humour to like this 1, i kept saying to myself , god something good must happen, comon something exciting happen, but it didn't.
3 hours pasted by and were lost forever

[jumpin52]

About an hour too long.

But what a classic line-"Respect the c**k"!

[Dagada]

I'm not so sure about having "An American Sense Of Humour" - This film didn't go down at all well in the states from what I remember.... Personally I loved it - I thought it had an intelligent script and took it's time establishing a number of different stories that seem different, but maybe aren't. Tom Cruise was superb for once and the film didn't need anything so crass as a conventional Hollywood plot. Nice!