Magnolia

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% (07/02/2010)

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 % (10/09/2010)

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. (13/04/2003)

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. (03/04/2016)

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! (13/02/2004)