Roughly two hours into "Magnolia," director Paul Thomas Anderson engages his entire cast in a performance of singer Aimee Mann's "Wise Up." Each character contributes his or her own quirks to the song as we jump from scene to scene, and the repeated chorus of "It's not going to stop/'til you wise up" truly strikes a chord. Throughout the film's 188 minutes, "Magnolia's" cast, divided into nine different story lines, finds just one common, unifying thread - complete and utter despair. The characters with any sort of stability (either positive or negative) become conflicted and fragile, their shortcomings catching up with them as the film progresses, leading down a spiral into mental oblivion. Mann's right; it really doesn't stop.You'd be hard-pressed to find another film that relies so heavily on the degradation of its characters, and never has one done so with such success. It's three hours of pure despondence, portrayed through the situations of those involved along with the haunting presentation of Mann's soundtrack.For example, we get Quiz Kid Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), the famed veteran of a long running children's quiz show whose life has fallen apart since his appearance in the 1960's. He struggles to get by, working in a local electronics store as he agonizes over the merits of oral surgery in finding love. (Ponder that one for a moment) His inner turmoil mirrors that of young Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman), a young child competing on the show in the present day, under the constant pressure and scrutiny of his greedy father.But by far the most intriguing plight is that of the show's aging producer, Earl Partridge (Jason Robards). Earl, terminally ill with cancer, lives with his unfaithful and manic-depressive wife (Julianne Moore) under the constant care of a hospice nurse (Philip Seymour Hoffman). His estranged son, Frank (Tom Cruise, in a brilliant performance), sells his chauvinistic "Seduce and Destroy" video lesson series almost evangelically, and wants nothing to do with his past - or his father."The most useless thing in the world is that which is behind me," Frank says at one point, citing a lesson from his series. But his attempt to downplay his past through career ambition quickly unravels, as we learn the details and exactly why he has become estranged from Earl. Their reunion in the end is gripping, if not a bit too much to handle.It's that latter sort of quality that ultimately drags "Magnolia" down in the end. Three hours is long for a film to begin with, but it feels even more eternal with such a constantly negative atmosphere. The negativity effectively becomes the prime focus of the picture, rather than the storylines and the characters involved in them. Sometimes, it's hard not to wish "Magnolia" would just end, so that their damages might be limited. When the end does come, it's a bit of an interesting sensation. As with any Anderson film, you know you've just witnessed a work of art, but unlike his other works ? the excruciating nature of it eliminates any desire for repeat viewing.