Note: This film was reviewed for the "1001 Movies You Must See" Club. Click here to read the reviews of other members.
Paul Thomas Anderson is perhaps the boldest filmmaker working today, and although Magnolia was one of the 1990's most overlooked films, it remains a stunning piece of cinema. It opens up with a five or six minute narration by Ricky Jay, as he explains three distinct incidents revolving around chance and coincidence. This is the framework of Anderson's film, and the results are mind-blowing. By the end, I'm not quite sure I was fully convinced this film actually had to be 188 minutes, but there are so many things in this film that occur without definitive reason that you have to be willing to sit through it. Not many people would read a plot summary about a group of intertwining stories and expect it to be a sprawling epic, but that is exactly what Magnolia is.
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