Magnolia

REVIEW
L.A. does strange things to people, especially fictional ones. P.T. Anderson's unbelievably ambitious Magnolia brings together dark pairs of people: a young TV quiz whiz (Blackman) and an over-the-hill one (Macy), a dying producer (Robards) and a dying TV game show host (Hall), along with other related Angeleans at crisis points in their lives… and then puts them in the midst of the strangest weather pattern in recorded history. The framework is reminiscent of Altman, the long, free-flowing scenes could be Cassavetes', but the well-schooled young director makes an exhilarating concoction out of his parts, the whole being not a plot but dozens of moments of redemption that have deep personal meaning in a random and coincidental city. Each actor gets two or three big scenes which encompass their characters' story arc; even with the uniformly high level, Cruise stands out (way against type) as a woman-hating self-help guru. The movie's length and obsession with detail will alienate a few; most, however, will be left with mouths agape and emotions swelled. Aimee Mann contributes the tender songs.