Magnolia [DVD]

Paul Thomas Anderson’s third feature - “Magnolia” - is an exploration of the coincidence of life, built around a dozen major characters in California’s San Fernando Valley. Their lives interlace and interlock over just twenty-four hours, but in that time they offer us a wealth of insights into the contemporary quests for love, knowledge, respect and money, culminating in a well-known and absurdly ingenious climax. The cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards, William H. Macy and Melora Walters, each of whom arguably delivers the performance of their careers. Also features a soundtrack by Aimee Mann, whose songs were the inspiration for the film.