Magnolia (Blu-ray)

lovely complex film

'Magnolia (1999)' is an epic on the cosmopolitan human being and his/her endeavor quests. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, 'Magnolia' is a notch within a catalogue of movies distinct in a legacy of interpretations on the 'living with yourself' struggle. The famous magnolia has six pedals on its flower, and is the emblem fronting advertisements for 'Magnolia' the film. 'Magnolia' highlights ten persons, but the movie has instead stories, about eight, which may be separated and defined as aquaintanceship passage worlds. In a critical or naive observer's relinquishment to pleasure, the identification of these abstracted meanings from specific interactions of people forces definitions for description. Adoration is nurtured without actual conscious or physical permission on our part. Paul Thomas Anderson's illumination of the randomness of actions and events which induce interior dilemma and Anderson's anecdotes in relief of uncanny tropes and foibles is a defining generation genre. The chaotic and furtive haphazard trials of the various casual and upscale cliques of San Fernando Valleyers is the-such a thing, what do ya call it?-that Anderson has made an obsessive relationship with, harnessing analogous excitement growths. The Californian populace of contemporary social tone colors has been a-work within-globe of malleable music that Anderson has accentuated in elevation mania. The icons of the silly, arbitrarily thrown together situation dictated these brash illuminations. Anderson has modeled social mischievousness, abrupt intemperance, and heart awakening recognitions in his cumulous variable scrutiny. Speaking of drama, in 'Magnolia' big things-the issues-are stated outright. Stanley Spector(Jeremy Blackman), the host for the quiz show 'What Kids Know', says: "I'm dying of cancer." T.J.Mackie(Tom Cruise) calls his father, who is dying, a terrible name. In P.T. Anderson's multi-pane quilt the substrations of ominous trouble are sustainable even though we look at larger than life oil-paint figures. One hangs on to a semi-recognizable caricature because outside these concupiscent lives are anecdotal coincidences waiting to deliver any detachment into unsolicited irrelevant involvement. 'Magnolia' demonstrates that lottery chance, and unanticipated meetings happening against numerical unlikeliness are significant because the persons, the targets of serendipity have their own perogatives. Earl Partridge(Jason Robards) has a deathbed speech about his guilt over having cheated on his wife. Listening to Earl Partridge we hear his evidences for feeling what he calls 'the regret', and they are quite rational. Anyone can play at being lonely or hurt, or feign having dynamic enthusiasm, but even if these traits are intemperately assigned-like a child improvising theater scenes in front of his tape recorder-there are back story details to make all the ostentatious gestures legitimate again. Donnie Smith(William H. Macy) is a former contestant on 'What Kids Know' and is grown into adulthood. Donnie is in a bar, confessing peremptorily that "I have love to give". The ensuing dialogue references points of former conversations. It is drama! The words stay in our minds, not because they are ornate syllables that are worked out in meter. In fact, the conversation between Quiz Kid Donnie Smith and Thurston Howell(Henry Gibson) is filled with vulgar language, but, because the characters articulate their pains, sympathy is cognated. Strange coincidences involve mixing with other people. When the moods are cast, staring at a tense face, watching a conversation from a low camera, these actors are themselves vectors of surprise; loaded up with anxiety, ready to implode. It's revelatory, a quixotic sweetness when there is an impromptu offer to help, and at times, a query could be from a stranger who is disinterested. The best example of this is seen in the tale of Jim Kurring(John C. Reilly) who is a cop with the Los Angeles Police Department. Jim narrates some of his scenes as he describes his work and uncovers indiscreet individuals. The sequences are true to life in the well documented drama vein. Again, broad values are said in directness and are also indicative of a caring person. Jim's solicitations to Claudia(Melora Walters) , in his loyalty to those in need, form endearing sentiments and bring joy that goes beyond 'being touched'. The motions during navigation struggles in novel emotion are consistent to fumbling real likenesses, but there is much force in the words. Traditional epics make use of the conventions of the physical environment to forge an outcome based on a hero's choices, and this protagonist has already, a prescribed personality. The denizens in Anderson's sketches must make decisions about their values or approaches to their perceived problems having been made partners with sidetracked happenings or detouring calamities. These are stories where physical objects mark dramatic arcs as they relate to events to entwined aquaintances or strangers. From a higher perspective a commonplace singular theme exists in the fact that the people in 'Magnolia' are from the city of Los Angeles and do in ways, share an absolute causality with other people, to fulfill unconnected objectives.

This was the first movie that I saw, on DVD, after my release from a 3-year stay at a mental hospital. I don't know that has anything to do with my love for the film or not. I go back and watch it occasionally, 14 years later, and still find that it's a gut-clincher for the mind, heart and soul. Before... well, before misfortune overtook me... I was a twice a week film buff. When I was released, I tried to resume life as usual but just couldn't do it. I'm still sick, in some ways. I'm still sick. I have cartons of Blu-ray transfers on hand and have become almost addicted to trying to find all of my favorites up-to-date on Blu-ray. One last thing before I go. This is THE deserted island film for me. I'm not sure why I waited so long to review it. I have never been a fan of Tom Cruise – never – but he'll make you realize that there's more to his acting than you thought possible as you pick yourself up from the floor for the third time. It's unusual not to have a heart. Maybe even more difficult to not have a brain. If you lack both, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you'll feel; like I did, and all of your emotions will come roaring down upon you when you see this film. If I felt that I could adequately describe the work that these people do, I would probably ruin the film for anyone who may want to see it alone. That's what makes the movie such a one-of-a-kind – a lack of continuity that never fails. First PTA film that I every saw. Started watching all Anderson films after that. This is a one-off. As so may people have described it as the finest film that they've ever seen, I can "understand" that sentiment... seems as if it's true. Just open yourself up and belt yourself in (nice and tight) and it's off to the races. Hoffman is incredible (I can't think of a time that he wasn't ). Anderson? Anderson? Anderson? I'm not one for top 10 lists, best lists, etc., I know what I'm willing to take chances upon, though. EDIT: I wanted the Blu-ray version of this, and so I paid $28+ for the edition labeled Blu-ray. This "Multi-Format" stuff is new to me and I was too late in realising that I could have paid $9+ for the Blu-ray & Digital editions. Nothing extra or special about the $28+ version. Hey, I'm learning.

la mejor película que he visto, me cambió la vida, una edición simple pero suficiente para esta obra de arte

one of my favourite films,this dvd has been discontinued in every shop I went to so luckily I could purchase it from here so cheers 🍻

P.T. Anderson hat doch auch "Boogie Nights" gemacht ? , dachte Ich mir, als Ich diesen Streifen in der Videothek erstmals entdeckte. Dann kann er wohl nicht sooo schlecht sein. Von wegen... Nachdem "Boogie Nights" - P.T. Andersons zweiter Film - mir aufgrund des umwerfend spielenden Darsteller-Ensembles sofort wahnsinnig gefiel, mußte Ich "Magnolia" erst einmal vedauen, und konnte mir erst nach dem zweiten oder dritten Mal eine Meinung bilden: Atmosphärisch sehr dicht, eine Bildersprache, bei der man eigentlich keinen Ton braucht, trotzdem ein Soundtrack, der jeden hartgesottenen Kerl zum Heulen bringt und obendrauf eine Darstellerriege, die sich leistungsmäßig gegenseitig überbietet. Tom Cruise spielt zum Beispiel besser als er es in "Rain Man" tat, und fällt mit dieser Leistung überhaupt nicht auf! William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall und Jason Robards (um nur einige zu nennen) werfen einen mit Ihrer Leistung einfach um. Und eigentlich war schon hier klar, dass Philip Seymour Hofmann irgendwann einmal einen Oscar bekommt... Dieser Film bringt mich jedes Mal zum Nachdenken, Heulen und Schmunzeln über das Leben, die Menschheit und den ganzen Rest. Sind wir alle entweder Loser oder Winner oder ist jeder irgendwo dazwischen und trotzdem etwas besonderes ? Gibt es überhaupt Unterschiede zwischen uns Menschen oder streben wir doch alle nach den gleichen Zielen? Wer an dieser Frage interessiert ist, kommt um dieses Meisterwerk einfach nicht herum. Und jetzt der Haken; das Teil dauert drei Stunden und diese sind für den Zuschauer sehr intensiv und teilweise auch anstrengend. Diesen Film kann man nicht eben nebenbei zu einem Bier oder in der grossen Gruppe anschauen, man muss sich diesem Film öffnen und ihn an sich heranlassen, damit er sich entfalten kann. Eventuell muss man den Film - so war es bei mir - mehrmals ansehen, um alle Schichten des Films zu erkennen und zu verstehen. Aber dann... seht selbst und traut euch mal einen Film zu "erleben" und nicht einfach nur zu schauen. Und nebenbei, der Soundtrack ist auch sehr zu empfehlen. Darauf gibt es 9x Aimee Mann und 2x Supertramp und die Songs funktionieren auch ohne Film.

Nirgendwo wurden die Geschichten mehrerer Personen so kunstvoll, poetisch und und vom inneren Zusammenhalt verstrickt wie hier! (auch wenn es bei Babel , Amores perros und Tatsächlich Liebe auch hervorragend gelingt!). Hier stehen 8 Personen an einem Scheideweg ihres Lebens und werden in dieser Nacht gezwungen, der Wahrheit ins Gesicht zu blicken. Sei es, dass ein hochbegabtes Kind sich gegen seinen fordernden Vater stellen muss, eine koksende Nutte sich Hals über Kopf in einen Bullen verliebt, ein frauenverachtender Sex-Papst seinen verleugneten Vater am Sterbebett besucht (Tom Cruise - in seiner vielleicht besten Rolle) oder eine opportunistische Frau (Julianne Moore) , die einen 40 Jahre älteren Millionär nur wegen seines Geldes geheiratet hat, plötzlich erkennt, dass dies der einzige Mann ist, den sie vielleicht jemals geliebt hat... (alle Geschichten aufzuzählen, würde den Rahmen sprengen) Alle dieser Schicksale haben etwas Existenzialistisches und gleichzeitig aber nie erdrückendes, weil über allem die große Hoffnung schwebt, dass sie es irgendwie schon schaffen werden, wieder zum "Mensch" zu werden. Über allem schwebt der Hauch des "Göttlichen": Ein Erzähler, der mit seinem "das kann alles kein Zufall sein" versucht, dass wir nach den Zusammenhängen und dem Sinn des Ganzen suchen und letzlich einfach gezwungen werden "zu glauben". Auch die Ankündigungen in den Zwischentiteln mit der prozentual steigendenden Regenwahrscheinlichkeit, macht uns glauben, dass wir hier Zeuge von etwas unvermeidbarem und großartigem werden. Alles wird zusammengehalten von der großartigen Filmmusik von Jon Brion, die es schafft die Episoden untrennbar miteinander zu verknüpfen und das Unmögliche möglich zu machen. Der Regisseur Paul Thomas Anderson schreibt über ihn auf der CD mit dem Score zu magnolia: "Jon is probably the only person on the planet capable of the requests I made musically for this film... 'Jon I want something slow but fast, scary but romantic, sad and happy, is this possible?' Jon would not say yes, he would just play it...perfectly." Etwa genau kann man sich diesen Film vorstellen: er ist eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt durch die Höhen und Tiefen des Lebens, durch die Altersstufen und sozialen Schichten hinweg. Man wird dabei immer getragen von einem begnadeten Erzähler (Paul Thomas Anderson), von großartigen Schauspielern und einer poetischen Kamera. Es gibt nur zwei Möglichkeiten für einen solchen Film: Man hasst ihn oder - man liebt ihn!

I read a lot - at least by most people's standards. And I watch quite a few films. And the vast majority of what I read/watch leaves me feeling just so-so. Take it or leave it. Though now and then I'll think something is good. Maybe very good. Five-stars-out-of-five good. And then - very, very occasionally - you come across something which is another-order-of-magnitude good. Something which just takes your breath away and doesn't give it back until you turn the last page or watch the closing credits roll up in front of you. And you realise that what it's all been for. That's why you've ploughed through all those novels or sat through all those movies. To get to here. Last year I got there with Victor Pelevin's The Clay Machine Gun. Last night I found myself there again when I watched a film I knew nothing about but had popped on my Lovefilm list after seeing an interesting review. Magnolia. Where was I in 1999 when this was released? What was I doing? How could it possibly have come to a point where, nine years later, I'd never even heard of this film? I won't even try to describe it to you - beyond saying that it follows the interlocking lives of a series of characters in Los Angeles - but it was absolutely captivating. Several minutes into the opening montage I had that feeling of absolute 'rightness'. That sense that there was absolutely nothing in the world I'd rather be doing at this moment than sitting here, laptop propped up on my knees, watching what was unfolding in front of me. And three hours later (yes, it's long, but then, hell, so is War and Peace) I was still captivated. And open-mouthed. Literally. Towards the end my jaw actually dropped, I was so astounded and moved and transfixed by what was happening on the screen. This is a work of consummate genius, at once puzzling and heart-rending and wise and funny and tragic and uplifting. The acting is astonishing. I've never been a particular fan of Tom Cruise but in Magnolia he proves he's more than than just a pretty face with one of the most powerful performances I have ever seen. The musical score is hypnotic, and the frog scene is probably the most dramatic use of special effects in cinema history. If only everything in life were this good.