Lauren Tye (onstagegoddess)

In my opinion, this is one of the single Greatest Films ever made. While it may go unnoticed by the average American movie goer, it's brilliance shall mark Paul Thomas Anderson as one of the greatest film makers of his day. Magnolia introduced me into the brilliant world of PT Anderson's talented mind and I haven't looked back since. It sent me into a plunge to study his work and he has come to be one of my all time favorite directors. His style is unmistakably original and captivating in a way that no other film maker has been able to successfully reproduce. Magnolia is a look into the mystery of life and how so many peoples lives can be connected in a dramatic way in just the blink of an eye. We may pass someone on the street that we know nothing about, have never seen before, and yet ten years down the road something we do may be the difference between life or death for them. While this isn't specific to any of the stories told in this film, the idea is there. The lives of these characters are so deep and complex it is hard to believe they aren't real. Their stories grab you and you are immediately pulled in. It's hard not too find yourself feeling emotionally involved in their stories and, in turn, it's also hard not to find yourself feeling their pain as their worlds fall out from beneath them. Few films I have watched are able to pull me in for the full extent of the emotional roller coaster ride that it is portraying in it's actors. But this film does it. PT Anderson is a cinematic genius.

A frightening depiction of desperation. Damon and Law have undeniable Chemistry, in which their path of friendship, love, betrayal, and hatred is remarkably portrayed. While a director's name is usually what either draws me into a film or pushes me away this film was an exception. Knowing little to nothing of Anthony Minghella ability to create quality work I could have viewed the situation as one I was walking into blindly. But I felt a cast consisting of Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman was enough to send the film through the roof. However, while the performance of every single cast member was breath-takingly mastered, the brilliance of the direction they were under shines through in an array of underlying submessages and motives within the characters current lives, back history, and future plans. It is a film that cannot just be watched once. While the first viewing will knock you off your feet, every one thereafter is going to leave you with a new uncovered discovery. Just how many films can you say that about?