Magnolia

Undeniably one of the most emotionally-draining films ever made, Magnolia is a sprawling epic revolving around a myriad of miserable characters, including John C. Reilly’s Jim Kurring, Tom Cruise’s Frank T.J. Mackey, and Philip Baker Hall’s Jimmy Gator, as their lives intersect over the course of a particularly eventful 24-hour period. Director Paul Thomas Anderson has peppered the proceedings with a number of sequences that are simply exhilarating in their ambition and scope, yet the filmmaker effectively ensures that the admittedly grandiose visuals never take away from the reality of the characters. Anderson has infused each of the movie’s central figures with a palpable sense of authenticity, and it’s consequently not difficult to envision entire movies being built around these incredibly vivid individuals. The uniformly strong performances certainly go a long way towards cementing the film’s mesmerizing vibe, as the various actors effectively disappear into their respective roles (Cruise’s efforts at subverting his cocky persona are especially impressive). Magnolia is ultimately overlong and self-indulgent, to be sure, and yet there’s simply no denying the movie’s overall impact.

**** out of ****