{"id":7580,"date":"2010-01-26T21:58:33","date_gmt":"2010-01-26T21:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=7580"},"modified":"2010-01-29T01:53:06","modified_gmt":"2010-01-29T01:53:06","slug":"blu-ray-magnolia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2010\/01\/26\/blu-ray-magnolia\/","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray: Magnolia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A classic 1999 ensemble drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson<\/a>, Magnolia<\/a> <\/strong>(EIV) was a stunning mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the\u00a0San Fernando Valley<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Starring\u00a0John C. Reilly<\/a>,\u00a0Tom Cruise<\/a>,\u00a0Julianne Moore<\/a>,\u00a0Philip Seymour Hoffman<\/a>,\u00a0William H. Macy<\/a>, and\u00a0Jeremy Blackman<\/a>, it\u00a0blends nine different stories that involve several people during one day in\u00a0Los Angeles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even more audacious than his stunning breakthrough film Boogie Nights<\/a> (1997),\u00a0it explores\u00a0heavyweight\u00a0themes such as love, death, chance and family with supreme confidence and style.<\/p>\n

A homage of sorts to Robert Altman<\/a>‘s ensemble dramas of the 1970s, it examines the universal by focusing tightly on the personal and is notable for Anderson’s dazzling wide-screen compositions and camera movements.<\/p>\n

Regular collaborators such as\u00a0cinematographer\u00a0Robert Elswit<\/a> and editor Dylan Tichenor<\/a> add their usual impeccable contributions and the acting across the board was first rate, with an especially eye-opening turn from Tom Cruise as a loathsome sex guru.<\/p>\n

At just over three hours long it is a sprawling epic, but one which engages fully with its sublime mix of technical virtuosity, wit, emotion and memorable soundtrack from Aimee Mann<\/a>, whose songs inspired some of the script.<\/p>\n

It is a film that can divide viewers (some always seem to have a problem with the climax) but it got mostly positive reviews<\/a> and still stands as one of the best films of a particularly outstanding year. Also look out for the numbers 8 and 2<\/a> which are liberally scattered throughout the film as visual clues to a key sequence.<\/p>\n

DVD Beaver have posted some screen grabs<\/a> compared to the DVD versions if you want to gauge the quality of the transfer.<\/p>\n

The Blu-ray comes with roughly the same extras as the 2 disc DVD and includes a lengthy video diary detailing much of the production.<\/p>\n

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Extras include:<\/p>\n