Reviews

Okay, so I loved Boogie Nights. Funny, sharp, beautifully filmed, great acting. My expectations for Magnolia were high. Woe, then, to me. The first ten minutes were amazing. But after that, the acting was uneven, the pacing tedious, the plot meandering and pointless. It was painful to watch so many actors whose work I normally enjoy plod through this exercise in self-importance. John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, and astonishing newcomer Jeremy Blackwell are the only actors to emerge unscathed. Paul Thomas Anderson has great potential, if he can restrain his egoistic artiness. Aimee Mann's music was amazing, though. And the only other thing I have to say is, uh, frogs?

I love this movie. Love love love it. It's smart without being pretentious, sweet without being sappy, political without being polemical, and absolutely wonderful. Angelina Jolie is luminous and amazing, as always. But nearly everyone else in this movie is just as good, if more low-key. Jolie meets her match in Ryan Philippe, whose deft handling of a difficult role was impressive for an actor so young. Gena Rowlands and Sean Connery are funny, sharp, and warm as an older couple taking stock of their 40-year marriage. Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart do a great job of portraying a couple navigating around her emotional land mines. Stewart showed real leading man potential, coming off as sexy, smart, and sweet. Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr made me cry as a mother reconciling with her son, who's dying of AIDS. Madeleine Stowe is probably the weakest link here, but even she is adequate as an unsatisfied wife having an affair with a man who wants more from her, played by Anthony Edwards. Dennis Quaid is astonishing as a man who shows up in a different bar, playing an entirely different character, every night. Believe it or not, all these story lines come together beautifully at the end.

What I love most about this movie is that all the characters seem so genuine. These are real grown-ups doing their best to solve their problems. It was honest and funny and brave, and at the end of the movie I was both laughing and crying. An emotional roller coaster that's well worth the ride.

I thought the previous comment was unnecessarily harsh. No, _Forget Paris_ is not the best movie in the world. But it's charming and funny, with a wonderful supporting cast. Julie Kavner, John Spencer, and Cynthia Stevenson are particularly good in their roles as friends of the struggling couple played by Winger and Crystal. The waiter's "It's like me..." running gag is worth the price of a rental all by itself. Give it a chance. It's a good one to watch curled up with your sweetie -- especially if you've been together a while.