Magnolia discussion

Started by SailorOfTheSeas, May 08, 2014, 03:42:40 PM

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Robyn

This must be Polish Philip Seymour Hoffman, right?



And this, is this the Polish version of Tom Cruise?  :ponder:



wilberfan

Quote from: d on August 12, 2019, 03:14:50 AM
Yes there is. It is directed by Krzysztof Skonieczny...
I see the play is receiving good reviews. I am considering seeing it in a few weeks.


Well, you'll certainly have to share your reactions with us if you do!

jviness02

As time has gone on, Magnolia has slowly fallen in my ranking of  PTA's filmography,  but it's still fantastic. I don't know if a filtered, less messy version of Magnolia would actually be better, though. Part of the charm is the "writing from the gut" aspect and I think that's what makes it special.


But Julianne Moore, who I genuinely like, is borderline awful in this movie.


wilberfan

Cool.  Did the (problematic) Simmons podcast come out from behind the paywall yet...?

Alethia

It's available for free on Youtube, among other platforms. Unless I'm misunderstanding something...


Drill

Quote from: Drenk on August 08, 2019, 11:05:43 AM
QuoteThere's a prescience to Frank in an age in which we're forced to reckon with the online and real-life violence of the anti-feminist "incel" community, men who believe they're owed sex by what they perceive to be an inferior gender, a mindset that's propagated by Frank's teachings. It's not hard to draw parallels between his seminar and snake oil grifts of some of the alt-right's ugliest personalities.

Damn. PTA predicted misogyny.  :bravo:

The only issue I developed with Magnolia over the years—probably my favorite film—is Linda: she's really one note, so the over topness of her arc is...kind of boring. It feels like PTA didn't really tried to get in her head.

I'd argue the same thing is even more true of Claudia. She's a cokehead because daddy molested her. You can't really get more one note or cliche than that.

Drenk

That's a cliché because it's true. She's over the top, but that's an over the top movie: special, overwhelming, night and all.
Ascension.

Drill

Quote from: Drenk on November 29, 2019, 07:12:05 PM
That's a cliché because it's true. She's over the top, but that's an over the top movie: special, overwhelming, night and all.

But she's boring and one note. At least the Linda character was somewhat unpredictable. But female characters are likely always going to be a nut he can't crack.

Pringle

The protagonist and main character of his last film was a complex and multi-layered woman.

Drill

Quote from: Pringle on November 29, 2019, 11:48:12 PM
The protagonist and main character of his last film was a complex and multi-layered woman.

I like PT but eh...I've never seen a movie "about a woman" be more about a man. It fails the Bechdel test, Alma doesn't really have any agency (you could say the movie was about that but still). His best female character is probably his first: Clementine in Hard Eight.

If that rumor about his new movie is true, that the lead is a mixed race girl, then that's probably the best shot given his daughters. Other than that, I think his bad relationship with his mom has always prevented him from knowing how to get inside a female character's head. He's hardly the worst offender, but it's always been a bit disappointing/something he's been allowed to skate by on.

wilberfan

We should have had a party or something.  So glad I had a chance to see it (yet again) on the big screen 3 nights ago.  Took my baby sister with me for her first viewing, too, which added something to the experience.  (She loved it.)

https://twitter.com/jadebudowski/status/1204171746124783616

Something Spanish

Fuck, 20 years? I remember seeing it on the big screen like yesterday. It opened in NYC on a Wednesday, if memory serves, and I saw it that Sat at Lincoln Square. Had never been so hyped about a movie in my 16 years of moviegoing at the time. I remember all 9 times I've seen this movie on the big screen. Still my favorite of the bunch, haven't revisited in 2 years, but safe to say i've seen it enough times to stand firm on that claim. Probably will take a gander tonight for as long as I can stay awake. I'll always remember to Respect the Cock thanks to this movie.

wilberfan

I can't remember if I told this story here, but I remember seeing it on a weekday afternoon at the local AMC with about 10 of us in attendance.  At the end of the prologue I remember saying--my memory is actually having done so out loud--"who IS this guy?!" with great excitement (referring to PTA). 

I had seen and very much enjoyed  Boogie Nights two years before, but those opening minutes of Magnolia made me realize there was a new filmmaker I would really have to keep track of.  When Punch-Drunk Love arrived in a couple of more years, I was smiling like an idiot, knowing my new Cinema Savior had arrived (Stanley having proved mortal in the end).