hermit58

This is a very long film. If you have the attention span of the average viewer, then don't bother. If you are a film lover, then dig in, because this film is as full as it is long. Full of the vagaries of life, the sad, the awful, the tragic, and even the humorous moments that lie in between. As usual Paul Thomas Anderson takes a terrific story, and enlists as many fine actors as one possibly can, to flesh out the tale. This film has many stars, but all are given the chance to shine, and all do, brightly. Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, the list is as long as Magnolia itself. The stories told within could have produced two or three smaller films, but Paul Thomas Anderson chose to combine them all,and remarkably pulls it off. No Car chases, No big budget stunts, just people, and their lives, drawn here with a sometimes cynical eye, the story is the thing. People are cruel, and foolish, and sometimes maddening, but here they are always interesting.

Four Stars out of a possible four.Highly Recommended.****.

Simpatico wasn't a bad film, but nowhere near what I would have expected from the strong cast, and a Sam Shepard penned work. I don't know a great deal about horseracing, the backdrop of the film, but I do know if you bet on the favorite, you win less than betting on a longshot. That seems to be what happened here, the deck is stacked with terrific actors, Jeff Bridges, Nick Nolte, Albert Finney, and Catherine Keener. The resulting film is a letdown however. Finney and Keener are wonderful in it, but I think Nolte and Bridges could have been given more to work with. I bet that this cast and a suspenseful thriller, would have me riveted, but, the payoff was meager at best. If you are going to build a tale around the storm clouds of the past gathering on the horizon, you better have more than a common rainstorm coming thereafter. Another blow to the hopes that film noir can be current and still as good as in the golden age of the 40's film classics. Two stars out of a possible four.Not Highly Recommended.**.

Sleep With Me,

A well written film, with sharp acidic dialogue that studies the relationships between friends and lovers, and the lines that we cross. Eric Stoltz and Craig Sheffer are the main players here, and are well supported, by a cast of friends and family, that have real conversations about real issues like Love, Friendship,Commitment and Betrayal. The script is better than most big budget films and the funniest lines are delivered with excellent comic timing. Meg Tilly is very well cast, and gives a strong performance. Todd Field and Thomas Gibson turn in good work in supporting roles, and an excellent cameo by Quentin Tarantino is one of the many pleasant surprises in this film. Sleep With Me, is well worth watching, an underrated film by my account, I give it three stars out of a possible four.***.