Magnolia

While I was away, all the magnolia trees in the UK decided to mock me by exploding into their brief blossom phase. There's usually a period of three hours, late one afternoon, when the flowers are all fully open and pert. Come the morning, the petals are all over the floor. Another year's cycle begins.

I really like Paul Thomas Anderson's film Magnolia: it's visually dazzling (check out the massive tracking shot sequence that opens the film, and watch all the camera moves and cuts -- poetry), it's very funny, and it digs away at the sadness and humour at the heart of every life. I guess the title is an allusion to the brevity of each life, and the preciousness of each day, and of the people we love. (?)
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Postscript: that was a sloppy post; I need to get precise. When I talk about the 'opening sequence', I mean the opening proper, not the 'coincidences' prologue. And it's not a 'tracking shot' -- it's a whole series of shots: handheld, dolly stuff, quickfire editing, very clever and smooth and gripping. I'm glad I clarified that. Watch the film, and you'll know what I mean.