Magnolia (1999)

A strange and unusual start for a drama where director Anderson sets an early bar for sex and violence, is followed by introducing the entire cast in the first minutes as a montage. Thankfully for Anderson, few films have a better cast than "Magnolia".

There really is nowhere more natural to start than the cast. Fantastic characters with an absolutely stunning piece of casting means this 3-hour ride would have been good even without a decent script. As it is, it's absolutely delectable.

I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise but his Oscar-winning turn as Frank T.J. Mackey is undoubtedly his best performance to date. He seems to have the time of his life, prancing around in his briefs, flexing and flirting, and at the flick of a coin displaying nothing but astute disdain when he is cornered. The brilliant line "I'm quietly judging you", stated with absolute callousness serves to nail his best scene.

Perhaps even better is John C. Reilly, an Anderson-favourite. He is perfectly directed in a role where most others would have you cringing in embarrassment and pity over his fumbling and stupid mistakes. He brings a warmth to his part that is rare on the big screen and it makes all the difference.

Jason Robards entire job is to die, lying on a bed being fed morphine. He was too exquisite an actor to leave it at that. Moving between anger at the world and himself, bitterness, sorrow and the urge to give fatherly advice to his male nurse, there is never a dull scene around his bed. Extra kudos to Robards for being able to display all these emotions under what is a character clearly dulled by strong drugs and excruciating pain.

Another favourite of Anderson, the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman, plays the nurse. A perfect blend of professionalism, empathy and curiosity as his long watch and ordeals along the way slowly tires him. I miss Hoffman. No one could quite make me feel the emotions in a scene the way he could, and he was never better at that than in Magnolia

Philip Baker Hall is the last to get an (extra) honorable mention. Obviously haunted by the life he's lead and the fact that he has no time left to right his wrongs, Hall portrays him with grave seriousness and a low-pitched, drained voice to add to his indifferent appearance. His final demise as a man is a heart-breaking scene, beautifully directed with a tormented performance, simply by repeating the three same words over and over.

Anderson gives the alert viewer small drops and catchphrases to tie the story and the characters and the story even tighter together. I love every one of them (provided I've been able to spot all). They are necessary though as there are so many "main" characters and so much going on over such a long time. It's perfectly done, though, as the film effortlessly leaps, swings and sneaks between them all. There is a purpose to all the stories and characters and it shows stronger and stronger throughout. This has to be the only 3-hour movie made where it not once feels too long.

And as the weather worsens, so do the fates of our anti-heroes. Right up to the crescendo (starting with a drop of morphine on a dying man's tongue) that includes raining frogs thwarting a suicide-attempt ends, most ironically with a sing-along from the entire main cast of Aimee Mann's "Wise up". The only sing-along you'll ever need to see in the movies. Then the sky clears.

If I am to be a critical bastard, I would say that Anderson lays on it a bit heavy in the "hysterical female"-department (the only one besides Julianna Moore that could do her part would be Annette Bening) as the contrasts to the male cast (apart from Cruise) gets too heavy at times.

Other than that, it's one of the finer films of its decade and surely something Robert Altman would always wish he had made.

9/10