Magnolia (1999)
On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story. (New Line Cinema)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: William H. Macy, Alfred Molina, Luis Guzmán, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Michael Bowen, Melora Walters, Pat Healy, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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Magnolia belongs to 130 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 234 stars)
2. IMDB Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 123 stars)
3. Favorite Film of Every Criticker Member (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 95 stars)
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 19 |  |
Luna6ix | 92 98th |
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Paul Thomas Anderson does an amazing job weaving several different plots together that even alone are good stories. Phillip Seymore Hoffman proves once again he is one of the most underrated in Hollywood.
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| 12 |  |
Dorkovsky | 10 99th |
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PTA is a master of great pacing. People compare this to some of Altman's stuff (Nashville, Short Cuts) but Magnolia manages to get me to care about almost all of the characters and keep me interested during its lengthy runtime, something that Altman's sloppy ensemble pieces couldn't do.
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| 10 |  |
CCLZA | 85 89th |
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One of those movies you wish would never end.
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| 8 |  |
NathanDarko | 100 99th |
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You can plan so many things, how your life might be, what comes next, making concepts, trying to make everything secure..but at least there are so many things that decide about your own life.Life is unpredictable. Anderson demonstrates with the aid of a lot different plotlines the result of hazards and the unavoidability of destiny. Terrific, it is a Masterpiece!
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| 7 |  |
doctor7 | 85 83rd |
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This is not a film about normal people during coincidences. What it is superb tale of intersecting stories during the most eventful day of a lot of extraordinary peoples' lives. To me it felt like 21 Grams but with some people actually trying to help instead of a constant barrage of negativity. This, coupled with the entire premise of the film being based on coincidence, actually made what could've been an unrealistic film completely believable in it's own world. Excellent film.
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| 7 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 100 99th |
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Wonderful film with a great series of interconected stories and wonderful acting used to depict different experiences with loneliness.
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| 5 |  |
Pickpocket | 8 82nd |
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The only 3 hour long movie I can say that I watched 2 times in a row. PTA is the shit.
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| 5 |  |
Eldred08 | 95 92nd |
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The whole thing is about unknowed liasons and the fuckin' regrets that people keep and deny... good soudtrack and great movie.
"Rain frogs keep falling on my head... "
"It's not going to stop... so just give up"
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| 4 |  |
Tequila | 95 95th |
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Intelligent, daring, original, slightly surreal, yet deeply touching. This, to me, is one of the most important pictures of the last decade.
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| 4 |  |
djross | 70 76th |
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Good attempt to make a great film, with numerous fine moments and an unusual driving quality to it. Marred only by the fact certain scenes were overly soap-operatic (when compared, for example, with SHORT CUTS), and a couple of other questionable decisions. Final opinion of the film will depend on how one judges the severity of these flaws. Excellent performances, including by Cruise in possibly his best role. Falls short of what was striven for, but an admirable attempt nonetheless.
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| 4 | slackerish | 95 94th |
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A magestic mixture of humor, sadness, and every emotion in the human body. The ensemble cast is fantastic, and I defy anyone who can't relate to at least one character in the film. Simply a masterpiece.
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| 4 |  |
frederic_g54 | 10 97th |
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(after repeat viewings) An audacious high wire act, carried out with great gusto and exploiting all the accumulated skills of a consummate artist. Exhibiting maturity and insight well beyond his years, PTA addresses the film's relatable themes with heartfelt sincerity and unassuming modesty, as he drops us into the damaged lives of a seemingly disconnected group of people whose lives become inextricably intertwined. They just don't make them like they used to.
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| 4 | singealiene | 25 2nd |
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Three hours of melodrama. Then frogs.
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| 4 |  |
moraesfelipe | 70 72nd |
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This is epic. With genuine emotion, wondrous acting and heart-breaking stories, Magnolia is a tremendous portrayal of human life's improvability. Impossible not to connect with it.
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| 4 |  |
Rufam | 90 97th |
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"Magnolia" works so brilliantly because of its structure -if each of these stories was given its own film, the result would have probably been dull or even downright banal. It's the masterful way they interweave that gives its film both its power and authenticity. Anderson skillfully unfolds the connected story threads in an almost operatically ecstatic fashion -the cast responds brilliantly, the camerawork is terrific and the climactic frogstorm ties the whole thing together wonderfully.
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| 4 |  |
Paxton | 70 63rd |
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On a scale of THIS to HAPPENS, I'd rate this a SOMETHING THAT.
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| 3 |  |
MartinTeller | 64 23rd |
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Pretentious Altman-ripoff twaddle that needs to lose a couple of subplots, and especially its overreaching climax. Saved primarily by the excellent performances.
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| 3 |  |
Magb | 80 61st |
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This movie is over-dramatic and indulgent, but it's also extremely well-made and very enjoyable. Anderson's ever-moving camera and incessant soundtracking by all rights SHOULD get tiring, but to me they never do. Perhaps it would do him good to practice some restraint, but as long as the results are this enjoyable I have no problem with him going on for three hours.
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| 3 | whomperize | 100 99th |
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Jesus Christ.
This is the most emotional movie I've ever seen. It's everything a movie should be, and it's so incredibly moving. I gave it such a high score because of its personal relevance, but this is a straight-out masterpiece.
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| 3 |  |
Kojiless | 90 92nd |
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Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts do not star in this movie that's not about a beauty parlor in a small parish of modern-day Louisiana. It's still pretty good, though.
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| 3 |  |
dwhee | 100 99th |
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It's long, it's rough, and it's beautiful. This one doesn't just entertain, it heals. Find three hours to watch it some time.
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| 3 |  |
CHIMP | 35 5th |
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An excellent cast completely squandered. Initially intriguing characters get one plot point each, which doesn't take them very far from their pathetic beginnings. To the director: don't act like the crux of the film is going to be some wonderous point of mystical connection if what we end up with is an interminable singalong montage to chick rock and a rain of frogs.
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| 3 | Skenkere | 66 50th |
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I absolutely love Anderson, and I wanted to love this movie, but I didn't. Technically, I've got no complaints: well acted, written, scored and shot, everything is there, it just didn't click for me. Maybe it was...overambitious or something, but when the stories didn't REALLY end up interconnecting on more than a somewhat superficial level, I felt really dissatisfied. I'm sure I'm ni the minority here, and I wanted to like it, but it just didn't do it for me.
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| 3 |  |
somnivore | 90 80th |
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A fascinating, subtly suggestive mosaic.
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| 3 |  |
FunkyAstro | 95 97th |
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Anderson grabs your attention and hangs on to it for the whole movie. Great cast and a wonderful story. One of the 2 roles I actually like Tom Cruise in. I have to wonder if the casting director said, "we need to get the biggest douchebag in Hollywood for this part.... I've got it! Tom Cruise would be perfect for this role!". Anyway, I really did think this movie was quite amazing.
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| 3 |  |
Okkervil | 99 99th |
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Sublime genius from PTA. Everything about "Magnolia" exudes class. There are great performances all round, particuarly from Reilly & Cruise - with the later completing his finest ever work. I love the delicately laced plot (if you can call it that?) and the super-tight screenplay. There are some wonderful scenes where PTA’s class oozes from the screen, but this films greatest moment is its ending; which left me just speachless in its beauty and subtle nature. Simply amazing.
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| 3 |  |
DavidBlast | 95 96th |
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When it rains it pours. This movie features a character in about the most emotional pain as I've ever seen on film. Kneeled beside his estranged father's death bed Frank T. J. Mackey (A career best from Cruise) hisses "I'm not gonna cry for you" before bursting into desperated tears, caught between the hate of a grown man, and the longing for love of a child "Don't go away, you fucking asshole! Oh, God, don't go away, you fucking asshole!" Pretty potent stuff.
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| 3 |  |
hologram | 5 0th |
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Manipulative, overwrought, self-indulgent; every single aspect struck me as wrong and false, from the forced acting to the sappy score to the preposterous script. Bizarre that I loathe this film when another PT Anderson film, There Will Be Blood, is one of my favorites.
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| 3 |  |
juntakinte99 | 50 9th |
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An excruciatingly dull film that's really just an arty soap opera about braces, lost dads, and deathbed confessions. Each time "the past ain't through with us" was repeated I thought, "When will this film be done with us?" The director now says that the film could've been 20 minutes shorter. I'd go as far as to say that he could've edited out all the non Tom Cruise subplots. Lastly, the gimmick of frantically zooming in on mundane conversations gets annoying quick. Avoid at all costs.
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| 3 |  |
lisa- | 3 30th |
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there is some fantastic stuff here: the two introductions, the complex intertwining of the stories, and that frog thing, which i liked. but unfortunately, the characterisation and drama was mostly irritating and contrived. i rolled my eyes at the singing montage, and the whole message pretty much boiled down to "isn't life just funny now"? felt like a more ambitious punch-drunk love. thankfully, with there will be blood and the master, PTA seems to have mostly dropped his cloying melodrama.
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| 2 |  |
cmull | 91 94th |
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As great as say, the Godfather and Apocalypse Now were, I can't think of another 3+ hour movie I could easily watch again, right after having just seen it for the 2nd or 3rd time.
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| 2 |  |
wayofthegun | 100 97th |
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One of, if not the, greatest ensemble pieces made. Beautifully shot, written, and acted all around.
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| 2 | Lucky | 25 6th |
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I don't understand the appeal of this film at all. There are a couple good performances, but it is an overlong, drawn-out bore. P.T. Anderson is no Altman; there are too many characters in his cast andl he couldn't successfully juggle all of the balls in the air.
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| 2 |  |
TheDiceman | 70 82nd |
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Great film.
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| 2 | renatoromero | 98 87th |
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Beautiful epic about the everyday life. Few times have ordinary people been seen by such a poetic view in movies like that. Breathtaking and Heart-breaking. I'ts Pual Thomas Anderson at his best.
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| 2 |  |
Alex Watkins | 5 91st |
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It's self-indulgent. It's melodramatic. It's ridiculous. It's absurdly contrived. It's preachy. It's also incredibly effective. All of those faults don't mean much when the movie hits so hard on a gut level, and I enjoyed this as much as any three hour movie I can think of. The screenplay may be indulgent but it's also incredibly original and very emotional, the performances are stellar, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the direction is pitch-perfect. I loved it.
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| 2 |  |
Icarus | 100 99th |
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This is a bold and brash film about sad and angry people, people who have no answers to their problems, people who don't see their own culpability in the way their lives have ended up in shreds. But it's also a bold and brash film about a group of people driven to brokenness by their self-inflicted suffering, about the profound mystery of new life and renewal that come from forgiveness, and about the transcendence and beauty of life-altering events. This is a modern masterpiece.
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| 2 |  |
jswinder | 84 78th |
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A bit draining, and the story tends to drag on a bit inappropriately in the latter portion of the film. I thought the theme involving cancer was an interesting one, as though it were an absolute punishment for destroying the lives of their children. Cruise was so disgustingly appropriate for that role. That guy made me laugh.
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| 2 |  |
Neonman | 100 99th |
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It's so good, it feels like it's gonna explode. Such an amazing piece of art that perfectly captures the frustrations and emotions of it's large ensemble of characters and their fucked-up interactions with each other. I fucking love every aspect of this glorious epic of the soul, and I love it as a whole even more.
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| 2 |  |
medium123 | 67 42nd |
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Amazing Frogs!
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| 2 |  |
chemical404 | 80 95th |
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Humility is something P.T Anderson never learned. It seems he did whatever he wanted with this film. Like dancing around naked and saying "Hey, I'm genius. I don't care about traditional narrative. Hey, now I did something completely random - I made everyone sing". Somehow, it all works. Emotional power-ride fueled by superb performances and cinematography. The very ending felt too simple after three hours of untamed ambition.
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| 2 |  |
kitchen867 | 20 13th |
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I don't have a lot of good things to say about this film. I think it's a complete failure as a drama, as the characters and plot felt very pat (not helped at all by the embarassingly bad dialog). PT Anderson is a talented visualist, but he shouldn't be allowed to write.
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| 2 |  |
Noblet | 86 87th |
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It feels like Anderson tried to jam everything that was on his mind at the time into this film. And it somehow works, most of the time anyway. There are a lot of characters and a lot of threads to follow, but I was interested in everything that was going on. The direction is just dazzling, I can accept this much self-indulgence when it comes from such a talented person.
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| 2 |  |
Leonardis | 95 85th |
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Quite long, but it isn't very boring. I liked pretty much all of the performances and visuals as well as the story. Anderson is an amazing director and story-teller and this just continues his streak as a filmmaker. Excellent showcase for him. As I have probably mentioned about his other movies, this is told really well and the stories and dialogue are great.
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| 2 |  |
thehynes | 45 19th |
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just a lonnnnnnng film with nothing interesting going on.Overrated toss.The Emperor has no clothes
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| 1 |  |
TripleSH | 89 88th |
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Slighty over-the-top at points, but extremely powerful nonetheless. Too many great performances here to pick out just one, and every viewer will find something to relate to. Overall, a great piece of cinema.
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| 1 |  |
Moribunny | 38 23rd |
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A soap opera where a big bunch of different people's lives all revolve around infidelity, terminal illness, betrayal and exploitation, and all subplots conclude in suitably moralistic tearful regret. Oh, and they intertwine. Magnolia's narrator eases us into that, expecting it to be hard to believe. It's what's easiest. The nonstop camera movement and musical soundtrack give this the goofy feel of a never-ending intro sequence.
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| 1 |  |
krmr | 89 87th |
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A perfect example of characterization. Very few movies are able to pull of characters that are genuinely flawed in so many ways yet still interesting to watch. It really is beautifully made in almost every way. The biggest problem is that the singing scene really took me out of it, I get it's point, but it just didn't work.
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| 1 |  |
newlikegrace | 96 98th |
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Long, dirty, depressing... wonderful.
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| 1 |  |
cagedwisdom | 100 90th |
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Magnificent and easily PTA's best film. I very rarely care for this type of criss-cross narrative, but in Magnolia it not only works but comes together in a dazzling, beautiful display of life truths - pure genius, and I'm kicking myself for leaving this unwatched in my blu-ray shelf for months.
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| 1 |  |
Ytadel | 7 83rd |
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An involving modern human epic with a hell of an original ending. Like many ensemble films, it suffers from the fact that the better storylines overshadow the lesser ones and make the latter segments seem like annoyances, and the music is too sledgehammer and constant.
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| 1 |  |
Vince Leo (Qwipster's Movie Reviews) | 100 99th |
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For those in tune with what the film is about, perhaps it's a film that can change a life. And while the fact that it isn't ashamed to pull out all stops trying is commendable, the fact that it succeeds so brilliantly at it is testament of its greatness. One of the best films I've ever seen. [Full Review]
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| 1 | gleeb | 25 3rd |
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Another commenter admits that, "[i]t's self-indulgent. It's melodramatic. It's ridiculous. It's absurdly contrived. It's preachy." and then goes on to praise it. I sat though the whole damn thing and didn't find the point where it ought to start being praised. There's good work embedded in this picture, but overall, it is really bad. It's about an hour too long, and it has no ending. What? The frog thing? That's not an ending, that's desperation.
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| 1 |  |
Farzan | 76 69th |
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The incredible direction, and the cohesion and coherence in the early hours of the film had me really excited and kept me brimming with anticipation. Eventually, the film starts to self destruct, and it happens fairly quickly. I found this extremely unfortunate as I began to really love some of the characters (Cruise and Hoffman). Albeit the conclusion was extremely interesting, I felt as though it instantly destroyed any sense of mystery and wonder that made the first two hours so interesting.
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| 1 |  |
twincinema | 70 53rd |
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The opening 20 minutes is so chaotic, and I'd like to say that it settles down, but this is incredibly overstuffed. Anderson is talented enough to make it work, and I have to respect this risky attempt. Would have loved to be in the theatres in 1999 during the ending scene.
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| 1 |  |
Boobjuice | 81 83rd |
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A great ensemble drama. Good use of Aimee Mann's music in the soundtrack. And a lot of people complain about it being long, but you know, I never really noticed.
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| 1 |  |
dsaos | 65 22nd |
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Of every last "a large series of untied characters living lives" vignette flick, this one is single-handedly the best one. I personally believe P.T. Anderson's eccentricity lends itself to this film and ultimately it succeeds admirably.
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| 1 |  |
miawallce | 92 94th |
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"We might be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us."
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| 1 |  |
nandorizzi | 80 80th |
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Paul Thomas Anderson has a totally different way of making films. It Always has a huge emotional burden, in a very special way. But it has never is a great entertainment. In Magnolia, however, 3 hours goes quickly, without being tiring and it carries out his objective.
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| 1 |  |
ktappe | 9 2nd |
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This movie SO did not work for me. I abhored every single minute I viewed until I finally gave up and stopped viewing. I could not find a single redeeming quality whatsoever. It was like Pulp Fiction--there is no THERE there. It's the emperor's new clothes--just because everyone says it's great does not mean there's actually any substance.
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| 1 | Manhatta | 79 58th |
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I should hate this, and if it had been done with anything more or less I would have (mostly anything more, this movie is already way too heavy) but as it is, it's extremely enjoyable. Amazing performances from everyone involved, but it's Short Cuts 2: Cut Harder.
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| 1 | fizban | 0 0th |
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piece of crap, except Tom Cruise's character.
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| 1 |  |
Danilolopes | 65 25th |
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The entire allegory is stoled from Peter Weir's "The Last Wave" then, you put a bit of Robert Altman, and you have some kind of shitty pie, that tastes like Paul Thomas Anderson.
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| 1 | cestmoi | 85 72nd |
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P T Anderson has a lot of love to give.
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| 1 |  |
JakeAesthete | 14 12th |
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100% gradschoolish in a bad way
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| 1 | davebirch | 75 26th |
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This is one of those movies that are a bit artsy, clever 'I gave it my all' pieces. It's good, but not one you are going to watch 100 times over. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it; it's worth seeing to see Tom Cruise act like a wanker....hang on
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| 1 | NadiH | 70 18th |
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Not what I was expecting from Mr. Anderson. A long, long suckfest. That's a bit too cruel - but my expectations were high and this was a giant let down.
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| 1 | PierrotLeFou | 40 29th |
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overwrought
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| 1 |  |
INDYATMN | 87 80th |
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Emboldened by the success of Boogie Nights Anderson lets loose with seemingly everything he ever wanted to do in a film. Pretentious & far too long w/ many scenes that suggest he let the actors take as long as they wanted, this is still filled with many riveting setpieces (one perfectly captures the wildly unpredictable nature of a cop's job) and 1-of-a-kind performances (esp Cruise). Best of all, unlike so many insufferably opaque arthouse films, the film actually has meaning & a point to make.
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| 1 |  |
terryprescot | 20 4th |
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this is a love-it-or-hate-it movie. i hate it. it's a complete mess. there was a good idea in there somewhere, but somebody needed to tell Anderson to do at least one rewrite. i like tom cruise's foul-mouthed character, one of the few times i've ever liked him in anything. pta has started to mature with punch drunk love and there will be blood but he still thinks too highly of himself.
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| 1 |  |
LadyBug | 100 96th |
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One of my favorite movies from one of my favorite directors, mr. pt anderson. Brilliant cast, story. He's the only man who can make toads fallin of the sky and its not funny. William H Macy and Phill Seymour are 2 of my fav actors ever and they give depth to this movie, although i must say mr cruise is amazing in it. The scene when they sing aimmee mann is unforgetable
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| 1 |  |
adilekin | 50 5th |
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my poor 3 hours!
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| 1 |  |
cult_of_same | 30 31st |
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End movie please end.
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| 1 | tef | 70 24th |
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As much as I tried I could not like this film.
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| 1 | claireja | 45 24th |
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At least the music was good.
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| 1 | getmoney | 75 34th |
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overlong with some interesting scenes
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| 1 |  |
walkearth | 85 98th |
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2. PTA can handle stellar casts - it's a universal truth. PSH, Macy, Walters, Moore, Reilly and wow Tom Cruise - and the rest of the gang for sure - phenomenal. On paper the film looks long and while it definitely has a few exhaustively prolonged sequences, it doesn't bore for a second. But that's PTA, ladies and gentleman, he's the man with the midas touch. The film felt as a very mature undertaking, but taking in consideration PTA's latter career, it also feels immature in comparison. Strange.
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| 1 | moron | 93 87th |
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beautiful
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| 1 |  |
JohnSandwich | 90 95th |
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tom cruise can do whatever he f likes after this.
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| 1 | MrCarmady | 10 0th |
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Fuck this movie, and fuck PTA.
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| 1 |  |
FaultFinder | 70 32nd |
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Too self indulgent.
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| 1 |  |
LarsThorwald | 40 8th |
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not going to apologize for not liking this crappy movie.
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| 1 |  |
oldgoat | 45 13th |
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Overrated and too long. Too many of the plot lines are boring. William Macy's one is great though.
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| 1 |  |
Bown | 91 94th |
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I mean I know it's so tryhard but god damn if it doesn't just totally earn every moment right
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| 1 | Hatman101 | 94 94th |
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3-hour movie that doesn't feel like a 3-hour movie, so many different and interesting stories to follow.
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| 1 | Deathcrow | 10 1st |
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couldn't stand this until the end. Was bored to death.
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| 1 |  |
Dunder74 | 10 99th |
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Magnolia is Paul Thomas Anderson's best film, and it is also the best ensemble drama ever created. Watching the interlinking stories come together is absolutely beautiful. Cruise, Macy, and Reilly play their parts with so much fervent emotion; I don't think I've seen better acting in a film ever. Magnolia is an overwhelming film; there is a large story to tell with many characters and emotions. Yet, I cannot help but notice how simple it is. Magnolia is a film about life. And it is perfect.
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| 1 | Ruslandgaga | 75 18th |
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What saved this movie was Tom Cruise. His storyline and performance.
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| 1 |  |
Prismatic | 74 39th |
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Pretentious isn't the word.
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| 1 |  |
overrated | 76 85th |
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Kind of smacks of a college screenwriter swinging hard, but it mostly works because it's PTA and an incredible cast. Easily Tom Cruise's best performance, because like Wahlberg in Boogie Nights he's playing a version of himself.
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| 1 |  |
Velvet Crowe | 77 86th |
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A film that's oddly divisive, but from my perspective, there's a lot to admire about it. While some of the drama can be melodramatic, and yes, pretentious the film bridges together numerous plotlines in an interesting, thematic way. The film is wonderfully directed, with solid performances from the likes of Cruise and Hoffman even if a lot of the plotlines felt mundane and pointless. Magnolia is a decent watch, but its bloated nature and occasional pretentiousness keep it from being great.
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| 1 |  |
hellboy76 | 92 98th |
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Some of the plotlines are weak, some of it is pretentious but the performances are great.
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| 1 |  |
TrixRabbi | 82 78th |
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Watching this on a rainy day kind of cements the feeling and atmosphere of the film. Respect the cock.
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| 1 |  |
guy piranha | 90 98th |
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bad people lie, abuse, cheat, get cancer and die. good people get lied to, abused, cheated on, cancer and die. nothing's black and white. sometimes it needs to rain frogs to make things right.
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| 1 |  |
Bagger | 95 99th |
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An example of a movie that pretty much has everything stacked against it and yet manages to succeed. Anderson adopts Altman and the Russion directors of the 20's and 30's and yet manages to be the anti-thesis of both. Intimate when they are distant or grandiose, and melodramatic where they are subdued. A movie that has to be seen to be understood. Though yes, to be fair, it is a Melodrama with an underscored "Melo" which did leave me distant at times, proceed with this in mind.
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| 1 |  |
chmul_cr0n | 99 99th |
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One hour into this movie I don't really care what happens, I could just sit there and watch these characters FOREVER.
Not to mention the most cinematic musical scene I have ever seen...
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| 1 | myfavchords | 100 99th |
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Wow this movie is outstanding! So many complex, troubled characters all mixed together well. This film has a great script and it is edited really well. The film does not drag despite being three hours long. This movie has the best performance of the career of Tom Cruise. There are numerous other outstanding acting performances in the extraordinary film. I also highly enjoyed the surprise near the end of the film.
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| 1 |  |
SanderAP | 85 67th |
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fell asleep the first three times i tried to watch this movie, the only movie where i actually like tom cruise :)
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| 1 |  |
3dRevelation | 98 99th |
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PT Anderson's Magnolia is amazing. I love films with ensemble casts and films which encompass a great deal of storylines. Everyone is great here, but in particular Tom Cruise's and Julianne Moore's performances stuck out. All the separate storylines eventually weave together in a unique, but interesting finish to a great film.
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| 1 |  |
princeharry | 6 8th |
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Despite top acting talent, great direction, and excellent writing, the nearly three-hour movie - much like Frank Mackey - cannot seem to get over itself.
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| 1 | Nepeta | 90 90th |
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Maximalist in the most captivating way; ever-moving, shifting colours and camera angles, near-constant music, intense emotion and performances, grand scale, and startling, overt thematic depth. This maximalism grows and grows, serving to emphasise the emotions on show, and the feeling that every single moment is an emotional climax makes the famous frog sequence the only real way to find a true release valve for the tension that has been built up.
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| 1 |  |
TheEscapist | 46 3rd |
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Terrible. The start hints at an interesting film but it never delivers. Nearly all of the characters are boring and irritating, same with the dialogue and the events (save for the frog thing). Don't be fooled by the plot description, there is very little actual connection between the characters. When it is there it feels incredibly contrived. How this film gets so much praise is beyond me, truly terrible on a writing level. Way too long as well, could easily have been an hour shorter.
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| 1 |  |
AlienIndie | 40 9th |
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Boring most of the time, and the 'biblical' frog-rain is just moronic.
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| 1 | alex9000 | 44 20th |
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Several good moments including Tom's lectures and the rain of frogs but it's length just seems unjustified as bores and tires you with characters that aren't interesting enough to hold you with exceptions of cruise and the dying old man. 3 hours is just too long. Also doesn't appear to make any real significant comments on life, the universe and everything in between.
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| 1 |  |
okayfrog | 80 96th |
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A fantastic film that flounders a bit during the final third and ends up being "merely" great. The majority of the film being structured around an hour-long block of television was highly effective for a multitude of reasons, and once that block of the film finishes, the film loses a bit of its appeal and focus starts to drift. Still, I was lost in the film for a good while -- maybe two or so hours. That doesn't happen often.
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| 1 |  |
anilscn | 70 79th |
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yıllardır erteliyordum süresinden dolayı sanki içime doğmuş. öncelikle film uzun olmasına rağmen inanılmaz eğlenceli. tüm aksiyon filmlerini bile döver bu konuda. oyunculuk olarak da benim top 50 listeme girer. (psh ve julianne özellikle) ancak tesadüfün üzerine film olmuyor abi. Olursa yeşilçam filmi oluyor. izlerken keyifli olsa bile bir gecede aynı 5 kasaba ailesinin başına 100 kötü olay gelmez, gelmez gelmeeeez! (yine de 70'e yükselttim aq filmden keyif almak cidden önemliymiş)
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| 1 | BlakeEngel | 9 71st |
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A legendary "Micro Epic", turning the lives of a few people in the Valley into an epic on par with Lawrence of Arabia. Deftly sweeping these stories together in a lyrical, visual ballet, PTA creates a movie that's simply never boring. In certain respects, this movie seems the height of modern filmmaking - a combination of contemporary technology and timeless, basic storytelling to create a work you've never quite seen before (though definitely imitated since).
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| 1 |  |
kito1 | 50 24th |
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I'm not convinced that this is a "masterpiece". I found it too long, and some of the plots are simply not needed. I disliked the normalized visual style, and the momentum is all over the place.
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| 1 |  |
NathanBates | 80 77th |
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An amazing ensemble cast performing short stories that are thinly connected. I like films to have a little more of a payoff at the end, so I was a little disappointed with the threads that never went anywhere. (One part in particular, which must have seemed totally random in 1999, seemed quite appropriate in this plague year (2020).)
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| 1 | mwestcott | 82 62nd |
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Magnolia is vast, well acted, well written and flawlessly directed. Almost everything about the movie could be considered perfect aside from a strange feeling of emptiness. There just is not enough to compensate for its considerable run time.
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| 1 |  |
feublo | 90 90th |
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Many great moments that make the derailing emotions of life, worth persevering through. The regret, alienation, betrayal - all means to manifest the strengths of love that bind us together; a magnolia which flourishes in a bit of acidity. What does a biblical redemption entice? Perhaps that the most important journey is one paved towards honest humanity, allowing for connections by chance even if that means confronting the dark matters of our past. A near flawless, cinematic, narrative.
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| 1 |  |
Barnowl | 96 75th |
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A modern day masterpiece, with music by Aimee Mann
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Displaying 1 to 250 of 363 total ratings: Prev | Next
| Average Percentile 68.63% from 9433 Ratings |  |