Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Luecarou What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

willcarter-56155 Magnolia is a fantastic ensemble film by wunderkind Paul Thomas Anderson. Featuring a host of actors- all somehow interconnected in the vast brawl of Los Angeles . Featuring a top notch cast and an inspiration directly lifted from Robert Altman's many movies (especially perhaps shortcuts) Magnolia is an art film masquerading as a mainstream feature courtesy Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H Macy and a few others. This is a must watch for any cinema lover.

bruceshaw-84725 Magnolia is a fantastic ensemble film by wunderkind Paul Thomas Anderson. Featuring a host of actors- all somehow interconnected in the vast brawl of Los Angeles . Featuring a top notch cast and an inspiration directly lifted from Robert Altman's many movies (especially perhaps shortcuts) Magnolia is an art film masquerading as a mainstream feature courtesy Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H Macy and a few others. This is a must watch for any cinema lover.

classicsoncall I'll tell you about strange things happening all the time, because I've experienced them. The very prior two movies I've seen and reviewed here on IMDb both featured a baby carriage scene in which an infant is carried away by a stroller down a long flight of stairs within sight of it's mother who is unable to help or give chase. One was the 1925 silent film "Battleship Potemkin", the other was 1987's "The Untouchables". I call these moments of cosmic serendipity, occurring completely at random, yet having a connection of sorts that were neither planned or expected. And now, here's a third film, "Magnolia", gloriously pointing out that these kinds of events happen all the time. One might ask 'What are the odds' in a seemingly moot way because who can explain it? As for the three vignettes that opened the story, at least two of them made the internet rounds some time ago - the scuba diver plucked out of the ocean to land in the middle of a forest fire, and the suicide attempt that was interrupted by negligent homicide. If memory serves, I think they were both outed as urban legends, but I can't be sure about that. Nor can one be sure about the unexplained coincidence that permeates this story with it's cast of unsympathetic characters. Though it's easier to explain in a film because that's the way the script was written, whereas real life is as random as it gets. As for all those frogs falling out of the sky, well, that's really happened a number of times throughout history with no apparent explanation. As to the sheer massive quantity and size of those amphibians, I think there was a little overkill employed to make a point. What the point was, I don't know.The person in the story I felt the most 'bad' about was the young quiz kid Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman). His life was careening down the same path as his predecessor Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), though in Stanley's case, I felt he had the potential to turn into a mass murderer. Recall when his father raged through the studio as Stanley wouldn't answer a question; the old man demanded to know what Stanley was doing 'to him'. Just a perfectly narcissistic parent attempting to cash in on his son's knowledge and initiative. The film offers a fine array of character performances with Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore and John C. Reilly leading the way. If there was a single twist in the story, my money rests on the fact that the game show was a Big Earl Partridge Production, while all the time thinking that Frank Mackey's (Cruise) claim his father was a former television executive a load of hogwash. Turns out he wasn't blowing smoke for a change.

joshyates1980 "Be kind. For everyone you encounter is fighting a hard battle." - SocratesThis movie was an excellent reminder of how everyone can become so self-centered that individuals do not realize wars that are consistently being fought by other individuals. It's not a war between two or more individuals, it's a war with the individual's own nervous system. Anyone who needs a good dose of reality should watch this movie.