Magnolia

“We may be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.” * “I really do have love to give. I just don’t know where to put it.”* * * I may be jumping the gun but it might just be the best film of all time. And I’m not even joking. Magnolia is Paul Thomas Anderson’s third feature film. And keep in mind, his second feature film was Boogie Nights. Already making masterpieces at 27, he decided to drop another one at 29. This one is even bigger than Boogie Nights. Sitting at 3 hours long, Magnolia is electric; nonstop masterfully written sequences one after another. It moves at a blistering speed while having its calm moments and you never feel the runtime. 3 hours that went by in 20 minutes.  Magnolia has the job of intertwining a whole plethora of different stories and making it make sense. And thankfully, it succeeds in a spectacular fashion. PTA has never been one to miss in the writing department for me, so imagine my surprise when this one turns out to be his best one. There was none. Every line of dialogue is meticulously written, every character’s background is felt all through the precision of PTA.  There not many directors out there, living or dead, better than Paul Thomas Anderson. And in Magnolia he really gives a masterclass on directing a film. Never do you feel any actor is out of place, he extracts the best out of every single one. The camera work is flawless. Each movement is perfect, PTA knows exactly where he wants the camera to go, when to go, and how to go.  The use of music in Magnolia is a force to be reckoned with. Incredible score, amplified by Aimee Mann’s original songs. The opening and final needle drops are beautiful and fitting. Every single song is better than the one before.  I haven’t even touched the performances. The entire cast had rent due. Everyone is insane. Tom Cruise (who gives the performance of his lifetime), Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Phillip Baker Hall, and MANY more do the impossible. Not a single weak link, strong acting after strong acting all around. What I love most about this cast is that each and every one is the lead. Each character arc plays a part on the whole. Any tiny moment between characters is integral to the final story.  Magnolia truly is a special experience because there are about a hundred different climaxes throughout the full 3 hours and all of them keep you glued to the screen. You feel tension all the time. Generational work. Speaking of generational, this film touches and has as its main theme generational trauma. How the past haunts you and how to keep going. Sometimes you have to forgive people, and sometimes you really don’t.  It also homes one of, if not, the best opening sequences I have seen in my life. I was just starstruck the first 15 minutes. Mouth gaping while “One” played in the background. It may be 20 minutes too long, even if you don’t feel it, and a bit messy at times however it is never uncontrolled or dull. Masterpiece.