The movie recounts incidents of coincidences. LAPD Officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly) falls for drug addict Claudia Wilson (Melora Walters). Her father is dying children's game show host Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall). The show's former producer Earl Partridge is also dying of cancer. Phil Parma (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is his caretaker. Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore) is Earl's wife. Donnie Smith (William H. Macy) was a former champion in the show but now he's broke, got fired from his job and obsessed about getting dental braces. Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise) is a chauvinist pickup artist guru who is actually Earl's estranged son. These and many others form a web of connections that results in surprising turns of events.
The movie starts with a memorable small vignette of a compelling convoluted incident. It may have been too good because I expected even better for the main story. The varied complex story lines interactions are compelling at times. At other times, I get lost and honestly lose interest. Tom Cruise's commitment to his role is admirable. It is possibly too much of a good thing from Paul Thomas Anderson. This is a movie that is about the complexity of the web rather than the beauty of each individual strand. It's a fascinating movie and also a frustrating one at the same time.
The movie starts with a memorable small vignette of a compelling convoluted incident. It may have been too good because I expected even better for the main story. The varied complex story lines interactions are compelling at times. At other times, I get lost and honestly lose interest. Tom Cruise's commitment to his role is admirable. It is possibly too much of a good thing from Paul Thomas Anderson. This is a movie that is about the complexity of the web rather than the beauty of each individual strand. It's a fascinating movie and also a frustrating one at the same time.