The second time I've seen this film, and the first since I got into Aimee Mann (meaning that the first time I saw it must've been some time ago), that latter being the main reason for the rewatch (though if I'd twigged that this was a P.T. Anderson film - more recently of Punch-Drunk Love fame - I would've had another incentive). The previous time I watched it, I quite liked Magnolia, but I think that it wasn't too long after I'd seen Short Cuts and so was already a bit over the three hour long 'intersecting stories' thing...plus, that was in the time when I still sometimes watched films because I felt that I ought to rather than necessarily because I really wanted to, and I suspect that Magnolia may've fallen into the former category at the time.
Anyhow, it stands up well to a second watching. For a film of its length, it holds the attention impressively, no doubt aided by Anderson's technique of moving fairly rapidly from one story to another, keeping us interested in all of them. And there's a lot to it - framed by an overt focus on coincidence, fate and death, it covers a great deal else in between, dwelling particularly on the question of how the past always continues to reverberate in the present, and how its characters deal or fail to deal with this continuing facticity. It's the sort of film that would really lend itself to detailed excavation and exegesis, but while I liked Magnolia, I didn't respond strongly enough to want to go into it in that detail. Instead, a few scattered comments:
- Unquestionably, it packs a real emotional punch. Made me think about my own life, relationships, regrets (then made me think that I'm still far too young to be enjoying this kind of film, though possibly that's another story) and gave me chills at a couple of key moments (most notably Tom Cruise at his father's bedside and Julianne Moore fraying seemingly beyond repair at the drugstore).
- The music is important. One of the most moving scenes is that in which all of the major characters sing along to "Wise Up"; it's a beautiful, perfectly balanced song on its own, but in context in the film it carries even greater emotional freight.
- The ensemble cast is fantastic; nary a false note. Tom Cruise in particular v. good, in some measure because the character he plays is some kind of reflection of the all-American type with which he made his name (can't decide whether it's a distorted reflection or in fact the true figure that lies beneath the type).
- The jury's still out on the success of Anderson's 'cleverness' in pre-empting criticism of the somewhat coincidental/fabulistic nature of his narrative and film (eg, Philip Seymour Hoffmann telling the man on the telephone that they are in the moment in a film where the reconciliation between long-estranged father and son is effected, the motto in the piece of art and the young quiz kid avowing that 'these things do happen' in reference to the strange rain that falls at the end) but on balance I think I'm willing to give it to him.
- All in all, Magnolia really is rather good. I suspect that I'll return to it in years to come.
