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16 - "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2000 Magnificent Magnolia will leave its mark on modern cinema From page 9 releases of the year. Magnolia is an astonish- ing work of art that seems to signal something new in modem cinema. Director- writer Anderson has just three major credits to his name, beginning in 1997 with the acclaimed film Hard Eight, which he fol- lowed with the brilliant Boogie Nights that same year. With Magnolia he takes his cinematic style to remarkable new heights, merging his own unique story telling style with that of Robert Altman, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese to create a breathtaking film that seems to get stronger with each viewing. Audiences were not quite sure what to make of Magnolia when the film was released last December, and critics seemed split on the work, but admired the strong performances in the film. Nominated for just three Academy Awards, the THE GENERAL MOTORS | CANADA WIDE CLEARANCE picture was easily among the finest of last year, and in time will be seen as a major work in modem film. Brilliantly exploring the lives of several people in diverse stages in their lives, the storyline eventually YOU WILL NEVER BE IN A BETTER POSITION LON 10) #.N 09.14 (UNTIL YOU WIN C. SOME SORT OF MILLIONAIRE SHOW.) 09% FOR A LIMITED TIME. ONLY AT YOUR LOCAL PONTIAC *BUICK*GMC DEALER. We'd like you to know more: Come visit us at your local dealer, on our website at www.gmcanada.com, or call us at 1-800-GM-DRIVE. Financing on approved GMAC credit only for remaining 2000 Pontiac, Buick, GMC vehicles. Down payment/trade and/or security deposit may be required. Monthly pay- § ment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Example: $10,000 at 0.9% APR, the monthly payment is | $212.18 for 48 months. Cost of borrowing is $184.64. Tofal obligation is $10,184.64. Offer applies to new or demonstrator 2000 models and applies to qual- ified retail customers in the Ontario Pontiac Buick GMC Dealer Marketing Association area only. Dealer trade may be necessary. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. See your Dealer for conditions and details. *0.9% Purchase Financing does not apply to: Corvette, GMC 2500/3500 Series Pickups, Park Avenue, GMC Savana, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Cadillacs. merges them together, intertwining their lives directly and indirectly. To appreciate Magnolia you must understand that any- thing goes in this film, which | think the director makes clear in the opening sequence, a series of darkly funny vignettes which explore fate (or not). The characters are superbly created by the actors, who give perfor- mances that are flawless in every way. We have Jeremy Blackman as a child genius who is slowly coming apart at the seams because he feels he is nothing more than a trained monkey, and William H. Macy as Donnie Smith, once the same sort of child whiz kid, now a deeply confused gay man coming to terms with the nothing- ness of life. Philip Baker Hall is deeply affecting as the host of a popular game show who has found out he is dying, and wants to clean up the mess of his life before he dies. The great Jason Robards is superb as the dying TV tycoon who wants to make peace with his son Frank, a seduce and destroy group leader startlingly portrayed by an electrifying Tom Cruise. Added to that odd mix is Robards' loyal nurse, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the dying man's devas- tated trophy wife Julianne Moore. John C. Reilly is wonder- fully sad as a cop looking for love in all the wrong places, falling hard for a drug addict with more problems than even that played by Melora Waters. As usual, William H. Macy dominates every scene he is in as the sad-eyed former whiz kid who just wants to be loved. As I mentioned, anything goes in this film, which includes a musical number (of sorts) where all the cast members sing, and a stun- ning sequence where it rains frogs in downtown L.A. The reference is of course Biblical, but see if you can figure it out. What is remarkable about the film is that direc- tor/writer Anderson creates such difficult characters and then allows us to get to know them, to explore their lives, and damned if we don't care for them and smile when they find for- giveness. Magnolia is quite simply one of the most remarkable films | have ever seen, and well worth a look or two or three on video. An absolute masterpiece that will be recognized in years to come as the begin- ning of something new and radical in North American cinema.