Energetic `Magnolia’ rooted in realism

In theaters

MAGNOLIA

In “Magnolia,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s bold, three-hour follow-up to 1997’s “Boogie Nights,” a whirlwind of seemingly disjointed, unconnected messages is hurled at the audience with furious panache.

The world is corrupt. People are desperate. Drugs are the answer. Drugs are destroying us. Truth is elusive. Truth will save us. Everyone lies. Especially you.

Our lives are facades. That smile isn’t real. The world is without love. Everyone hates. Loneliness has triumphed. Regret is everywhere. Cancer is killing us. Love is the cure.

The film, which features a superb cast, including Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly (the last four of whom appeared in “Boogie Nights”), takes all of its messages, mixes them up in a hive of interlocking stories, and brings them together with such terrific skill and aplomb, it can only be called Altmanesque.

But what one notices in “Magnolia” aren’t just the influences, or Anderson’s dark, contemporary look at the American experience, or even his eagerness to give his actors big scenes to stretch their lungs, but the film’s energy, which rarely flags, and Anderson’s unique ability to make almost anything seem possible even while his film remains rooted in realism.

I say this only because in this, Anderson’s third film, the writer and director has established a style that’s so firmly his own, he truly can — and does — get away with one of the most preposterous events caught on film. It won’t be given away here, but it’s nothing less than audacious, an event so bizarre, and of such biblical proportions, anyone who has seen “Magnolia” will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Some critics have argued that the event spoils the film, lifting the audience out of the moment and straight into absurdist fantasy, but that’s not the case. The event occurs at the film’s three-quarter mark, when Anderson’s characters collide in such ugly desperation — and with seemingly no way out of it — that there’s nothing else Anderson or the audience can do but look to the skies for help.

Grade: A-

On video

TARZAN

Where Tarzan is concerned, that old adage certainly proves true: It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.

The folks at Disney know this. Their 37th animated feature film, “Tarzan,” has so much swing, Austin Powers must be applauding.

The film is a technical marvel that shrewdly compresses and streamlines the Disney formula into a more efficient whole — the script is light on messages and there are fewer song-and-dance numbers to stop the action.

The result is a gorgeous-looking film that utilizes computer-generated imagery to give the stunning landscapes and vistas added depth and texture. The story is too pat to suit and lacks a sufficiently evil character to truly stir the emotions, but the film is nevertheless uninhibited, featuring a vibrantly reborn Tarzan who swings through Disney’s roller coaster of a jungle less like Johnny Weissmuller, and more like Peter Pan.

Grade: B+

THE WINSLOW BOY

On the surface, David Mamet’s new film, “The Winslow Boy,” is about justice. British justice. But beneath it all, Mamet has other things in mind, such as a film about passion. British passion.

Set in 1910, the film follows Ronnie Winslow (Guy Edwards), a young naval cadet accused of stealing a 5-shilling postal order from a classmate. Convinced he’s innocent, Ronnie’s father (Nigel Hawthorne) stakes the family fortune (not to mention the family’s psychological health) on the famous lawyer Sir Robert Norton (Jeremy Northam), who once fought for Oscar Wilde and who now uses his genius to save Ronnie in court.

What makes “The Winslow Boy” a must-see is how Mamet takes a conventional courtroom drama and twists it so most of the courtroom action happens offscreen — including the ruling, which is handled superbly.

But this film isn’t just about the plight of poor Ronnie. It’s also about getting his older sister, Catherine (Mamet’s wife, Rebecca Pidgeon), paired with an intellectual equal. That equal is Sir Robert, who ignites in Catherine a passion that isn’t exactly hot, but rather clinical.

Based on a true story, “The Winslow Boy” is a departure for Mamet, who is known for his in-your-face characters and spare, tough dialogue. Those qualities are in evidence here, but they’ve been toned down to reflect the times. Indeed, Catherine and Robert are so cold and so aloof, so pretty and so uptight, their courtship plays out like a game of chess.

Grade: A-

Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News film critic. His reviews are published each Monday and Thursday in the NEWS, each Tuesday and Thursday on WLBZ’s “NEWS CENTER 5:30 Today” and “NEWS CENTER Tonight,” and each Saturday and Sunday on NEWS CENTER’s statewide “Morning Report.”