Long time no see! I haven't posted a blog in what feels like forever but I've just enjoyed spending some time relaxing and unwinding and hence the blog has not been at the forefront of my mind. In saying that, I am hoping to get back into things now the summer is approaching a close!
Ever since I watched this film I knew I just had to write something about it because it is such an incredible piece of art. I will try to keep the spoilers at a minimum for this one as surprisingly it is a film that not many people I know have seen and I do want to protect the shock factor of the, shall we say finale of the film. In saying that, there is one paragraph within the blog that I have included some spoilers but a notable warning has been flagged for those that haven't watched! All I will say about the ending for those that haven't watched is that it is absolutely wacky yet so intriguing. This has to be the one film (other than 'Midsommar' and 'Get Out'), that I would practically sell a limb to see for the first time once again. So if you haven't seen it yet my message to you, is to watch it and take it all in.
The film follows the lives of individuals living in the San Fernando Valley as they deal with the conflicts of life and its tribulations. With a game show sitting at the center of the story connecting all individuals, the film beautifully explores themes from the inevitability of death, reputation, love, and all the other tortures that we endure as humans.
A notable meaning behind the title of the film which I have excluded from the spoiler paragraph ahead which goes further into the meaning is that throughout the entire film, characters are either indirectly or directly impacted by happenstances. As IMDB suggests they may not all be connected by these occurrences but are in many ways relative to each other like the petals on a flower. Thus the name and title 'Magnolia' for the film. It is this level of numerous minute details, not just surrounding the title, but throughout the film, that make it so intricately beautiful and unique.
Whilst talking about this film it seems we cannot ignore the absolutely stellar cast, not only do you have Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and John C Reilly reuniting for another Anderson film after starring alongside each other in 'Boogie Nights,' (1997) but the list goes on with this film to include actors such as Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, Melora Walters and so many more delivering beautiful performances. It is arguably my favourite performance of Tom Cruise who portrays a macho sex motivational speaker of course fitted with his very own leather vest. Yep. It's bonkers but he delivers the performance so well with the right amount of ludicrousy yet without taking it too far. It's brilliant and a nice change from seeing him wreak havoc through international cities as he runs from imposing spies.
I will say that whilst the character is incredibly sexist and it is quite disturbing to hear some of the phrases that he comes out with, it is all commenting on the real-life ridiculousness of individuals that at the point of the film's release (the late '90s), were out making these kinds of highly masculine "sexual motivational events." Whilst exploring the ludicrousy of these individuals Anderson works to humanise Cruise's character as the story progresses and we as an audience begin to learn more about his past and potentially how he has come to do this as a day job.
SPOILER WARNING - DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU HAVEN'T YET WATCHED THE FILM. PLEASE CONTINUE FROM THE PARAGRAPH BELOW!
According to IMDB, there are numerous layers to the title of the film. First of all, the film is named after Magnolia Boulevard which is a road within the San Fernando Valley where the film takes place. Magnolia also sounds similar to the term "Magonia", which was created by Charles Fort (who wrote about strange phenomena and is referenced in the film's closing credits). The term relates to an alleged place in the sky where things are kept until they fall from it which clearly alludes to the ending of the film, as well as Magnolia, being an 8-letter word with 2 "a"s being the 2nd and 8th letters. This odd coincidence links back to the numbers 82 featured frequently in the film as a reference to Exodus 8:2: "If you do not let them go, I will send a plague of frogs." Additionally, on the morning of 28 June 1957, small fish, frogs, and crayfish fell by the thousands during a rainstorm at Magnolia Terminal near Thomasville, AL. Many of the fish were alive and placed in ponds and swimming pools, which is evidently referenced in the film by the frogs landing all over the place including swimming pools in people's gardens. I understand this paragraph was a bit of a ramble surrounding the title but I felt it had to be included in the article without mixing it in with the rest of the discussion for those that haven't watched yet.
SPOILERS OVER!
A notable tool used by Anderson was the use of opposites to present the struggles endured. Within the film, Macy portrays a character haunted by his past as a child genius and the downfall of his life since it peaked during his youth. Running parallel to the story, we are given an insight into the life of another child genius experiencing the effects of this game show for the first time. Watching these stories side by side offers us as the audience the ability to lend more sympathy to both as we can see the low point Macy is at in addition to our anticipation of what will happen to the young boy as he embarks on this journey.
As mentioned, the experiences endured by the characters, are somewhat linked by either parallels, opposites, or even through coincidences. It all neatly ties the story together and in a way makes us realise how close we truly are with those we pass on the street. We're all connected in some way, if not by personal connections, but through our journeys.
The tone of the whole film is very raw and visceral and. a prime example of this can be seen during the panicked scene of Julianne Moore in the pharmacy. (Linked below for reference). The whole tone of the scene is paired with the increasingly tense music building up as Moore gradually gets frustrated with the pharmacist's remarks. It's her breaking point of the film due to her father's sickness taking its toll on her mental health and it's clear she's had enough. What we get from this is arguably one of Moore's best performances in a moment that is so full of long buried-down anguish and pain. Even the camera work elevates this heightened sense of stress as it moves in closer and closer over the pharmacist's shoulder to Moore during her increased panic and stress. It's an intrusive shot with the camera acting almost like a predator closing in on its prey, therefore heightening the claustrophobic stress and judgement felt by Moore's character. It's remarkable and is so well crafted in its filmmaking.
The storyline of John C. Reilly's police officer character adds a nice break from the bleak experiences of the other characters in the film yet there is also deep darkness to this storyline as he begins to initiate romantic relations with Melora Walters's character during his shift as a police officer. Her character is battling with some dark dark thoughts and relationships she holds in life at the point of meeting Reilly's character, which ultimately has resulted in her hitting almost rock bottom. As their relationship begins to build and strengthen, hope and optimism are restored while it becomes apparent the two save each other from their struggles - yet the background of their pasts still underlie the experiences they share thus making this situation seem a lot more complex than what you may see on the surface.
It is a lengthy film; coming in at 3 hours and 8 minutes, yet it's what is needed by the film to really explore the complexities of these characters and build that larger context around them to connect the stories. In fact, I do remember whilst watching the film not checking my watch waiting for it to end, just remembering getting to the end and being surprised that it was over so soon! It doesn't drag on like you think it would but it still offers time to explore all the storylines. However, it is interesting to note how in an interview with Marc Maron in January of 2015, Paul Thomas Anderson was asked if he had the opportunity to re-cut the film. He replied, "I'd slice that thing down. It's way too fucking long. It's unmerciful how long it is." He added that "maybe a few" trajectories in the film's plotlines could've been eliminated.
If you haven't yet watched the film I would say stick with it. It's definitely a film that doesn't benefit from splitting into two parts and watching over 2 nights because then it loses the momentum. Obviously, I'm not here to tell you how to watch it but for the best experience, I would watch it in one go for the full impact of Anderson's craft.
Like 'Boogie Nights', a seeming trademark of Anderson's is to take these raw experiences and bring them to the big screen in such a captivating way that makes you forget you are watching a fictional tale. In some way, this is similar to what Noah Baumbach does in films like 'Marriage Story' and what Linklater does as discussed in a previous blog regarding the 'Before' trilogy. Yet the magic of Paul Thomas Anderson's craft is so hard to pinpoint. You can tell when you're watching one of his films yet you can't put your finger on it. I have to admit I still am yet to watch 'There Will Be Blood,' however it won't be long until I do because I am aware it is highly regarded as his best work. As of yet, it's a pretty tough call for me between 'Boogie Nights' and 'Magnolia,' but I think the extra bonkers ending of 'Magnolia' has to take the win for me, catching you off guard, much like the journeys many of us traverse through life.
I know I always say this, but I could go on and on with this film. I really could. There are hundreds of little references everywhere that elevate the impact of this film and if I wrote out every single one, this blog would take hours to read. I do recommend watching the film and keeping an eye on anything that you can draw parallels to because it does in fact make the film that extra bit remarkable. Pick an evening when you know you're not going to lose engagement because you have had a long day of work or have been up to lots, and just immerse yourself in this captivating world Anderson has crafted. You will not regret it!!
For those that have watched and want to chat about it please do comment below because I really want to start communicating more with people about films via this blog and debates are always welcomed!
Quick Trivia:
New Line Cinema wanted to push the film as a Tom Cruise movie but Paul Thomas Anderson refused, saying it was an ensemble piece. He ended up designing the poster and editing the trailer himself.
Almost every location contains at least one picture or painting of a magnolia.
Exodus 8:2 is alluded to over a hundred times throughout the movie.
The trailer for the movie features shots filmed especially for it, featuring each character, in a specific location from the film in which they were prominently featured, looking directly at the camera and saying their name.
With the obvious exception of the prologue featuring the three urban legends, the entire film takes place over a period of 24 hours.
Every time we see Donnie (William H. Macy) in his car, the same song is playing on the radio ("Dreams" by UK artist Gabrielle).
The only actor New Line campaigned as a lead performance for the Academy Awards was John C. Reilly's. Every other actor was campaigned for in a supporting category.
Sources:
Video Clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uphzZF-vsy8
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Certificate: 18
Genre: Drama