MAGNOLIA

There’s a dizzying feeling one gets watching P.T. Anderson’s new opus, MAGNOLIA. The constantly flying camera, the plethora of characters, making sense of what the point of the whole thing is, and… the frogs. The fact that it actually works is a testament to Anderson’s talent. It is that talent along with a good deal of artistic audacity that makes MAGNOLIA one of the best films of 1999.

There’s no question that Anderson has bitten off more than he (or anyone, really) can chew, here. There are way too many characters and story-lines, some weaker than others. What ultimately carries the film, though, is its energy and heart. MAGNOLIA opens with the recounting of several urban legends; some of which we’ve all heard. All these tales deal with the ironic and sometimes divine intervention of fate. “Why do these things happen?” the film asks, “What’s the point?” These questions could never be answered of course, but they relate heavily to what eventually happens in the film.

MAGNOLIA follows several characters who are dealing with death, loss, lack of love, and the sins of the past. The wonderful cast includes the usual P.T. Anderson suspects William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, and Julieanne Moore. Plus there’s Tom Cruise in the scummiest (and finest) role of his career and Jason Robards as the most realistic dying man I’ve seen on film. All of the acting is superb here with Reilly and Moore delivering performances (frankly) too brilliant for Oscar recognition. Love him or hate him, Anderson knows how to work with actors. But that’s not all he knows.