How have I not had a PTA post yet? Sheeesh. I recently bought “Magnolia” and “Boogie Nights” on Blu Ray, and they both look fantastically amazing. I know “Sydney (Hard Eight)” isn’t on Blu yet, and it’s only a matter of time before I reach out and snag “There Will Be Blood” on Blu. PTA is one of the best filmmakers of all time, creating an epic film that is nothing less than a character study of common, ordinary people. The way he writes his dialogue, his actions is far beyond most – and what is even more effective is the long takes he uses, rarely cutting quickly or too much. How he holds the camera with such grace and care, tracking characters through scenes. All this is very effect – but the actors he gets and the fucking performances that he can get out of them is amazing. He’s an amazing director that has made nothing but really, really great films (I still don’t count “Punch Drunk Love” – I know I know, I’ll give it another shot). He’s unlike any other director out there, Paul Thomas Anderson is not only the best director of our generation (sorry Mr. Nolan and Tarantino) but he is the next Martin Scorsese.
- “There Will Be Blood”
- “Boogie Nights”
- “Magnolia”
- “Sydney (Hard Eight)”
- “Punch Drunk Love”
Tags: Paul Thomas Anderson
Frank Mengarelli
Sure, sure…I’ve only seen Magnolia, I think. Damn.
Must confess, I’m not mad about him. Smart and challenging, but too often I feel like I’m consciously appreciating a beautiful composition, rather than engaging with it. Still, There Will Be Blood was a classic.
I liked Punch Drunk Love, but Magnolia just sings to my heart. Such an immaculately created vision realized. I recently got to sit down and watch There Will Be Blood which was incredible, and while I’d heard about DDL’s performance blowing away everything else, the score was just as haunting, along with the film with was also immaculately constructed. Boogie Nights is a classic and remains the best movie about the porn industry ever.
There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love and Sydney all rank above Magnolia for me. As good a film that it is I can’t get into it.