# Magnolia (1999)

### reviewed by
Mac VerStandig

    Magnolia
    3 Stars (Out of 4)
    Reviewed by Mac VerStandig
    critic@moviereviews.org
    http://www.moviereviews.org
    January 15, 1999

---A copy of this review can be found at http://www.moviereviews.org/magnolia.htm ---

---Those of you in the Portland, Maine are can hear Mac VerStandig's movie reviews every Friday morning on 98.9 The Point radio.---

Despite opening with footage of old black and white 16 millimeter film, Magnolia quickly splices away from many time-revered filmmaking fundamentals and bravely ventures into cutting-edge territory. In that sense, the film is a true first effort and, like many freshman attempts, the end-product is only semi-interesting but extremely noteworthy because of the boundaries it crosses.

The film, however, isn't director P. T. Anderson's initial voyage into Hollywood. He previously achieved momentary fame with the critically acclaimed but Academy-snubbed Boogie Nights. Many of the cast and crew members from that 1997 effort join him again here. He re-embraces a similar filmmaking style in Magnolia, but those that think Boogie Nights was as new-age as they could handle, will likely struggle through this production.

A dying father, woman at his side, a nurse taking care of him, a quiz show host, a well-intentioned cop, a coke-sniffing daughter, a former quiz show champion, a current quiz show champion and a sex-craving instructor of "Seduce and Destroy" courses. Throw in some men at the gallows, Hustler magazine and a mind-boggling biblical reference and all the pieces fit together as in a very fragile jig saw puzzle. But don't dare blink, because the one major connecting piece is quick, quiet and very subtle. It is trying to connect those pieces that is the film's plot.

Not only does the movie venture outside the lines with the aforementioned unconventional plot, but the actual filmmaking technique used by P. T. Anderson might give some Tisch professors nightmares. The supposedly unbreakable 180 degree rule, which states that no cut should be made in one scene that jumps more than 180 degrees, is flagrantly ignored. Ditto the concept of never intentionally cutting off someone's head in the frame while they are talking. Yet the most shocking violation comes when Anderson uses shaky handheld footage, a technique normally only utilized when absolutely necessary, voluntarily.

In front of the camera is a rather impressive cast including Jason Robards, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore and John C. Reilly. But the real treat is Tom Cruise who ventures into this film having just played a sex-craving New Yorker in legendary director Stanley Kubrick's last movie, Eyes Wide Shut. Here he is a sex preaching Californian whose in-your-face course includes lessons like "How to fake like you are nice and caring." (I would list more, but this is a family website.) Cruise will likely finally get an Oscar for this film in the form of Best Supporting Actor, after his previously being snubbed in the lead actor category for films like Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire.

I am told that P. T. Anderson's director's cut of this movie was five hours long. I have little doubt that those 300 minutes of footage are boldly original and might fascinate hardcore film junkies. But to most, the movie will lose steam after about two hours in its current three hour state. Although its too early to tell, P. T. Anderson could ultimately end up leading a filmmaking revolution in Hollywood. Lets hope he doesn't cure insomnia in the process.

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