Paul Thomas Anderson has such an impressive and diverse body of work, and I would easily call him my all time favorite director. What are your three favorite films of his? For favorites I have to go Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and The Master. Boogie Nights is just an all around masterpiece with a perfect blend of comedy and drama, while TWBB and TM are epic works of art. The only one of his films I'm not crazy about is Inherent Vice, which I always expect to grow on me, but every time I watch it I have the same feeling of confusion and disinterest.
I haven't seen anything past "The Master" which I found incredibly dull and couldn't wait for it to end. I listed the Blu-Ray onto eBay as soon as the film finished!
I was very underwhelmed by The Master the first time I saw it, but it's one of those films that I like more and more every time I watch it. I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in a second viewing, but I think you'd appreciate it more when you know what to expect going into it. For example, it doesn't have the strongest plot, so ignoring that you can really focus in on the visuals and performances.
i want to watch 'inherent vice' again before signing off on this poll .... i quite enjoyed it at the time, and have only seen it once. i thought 'phantom thread' was excellent. im a big fan of his for sure.
No love for Inherent Vice? I loved it. Punch Drunk Love is also great, Adam Sandler does well in a serious role but can't normally watch him, was a toss up between that and Magnolia for 3rd choice, There Will be Blood being the other.
To fully appreciate The Master, you need to read up on Scientology. Watch Going Clear, and, maybe, a few episodes of Scientology and the Aftermath, then marvel at how all the weird behavior the actors show, and weird scenes, are all based on things that really happened. In fact, many scenes were toned down for the movie, as the reality is far stranger.
I'm not a fan, Boogie Nights was good, There Will Be Blood could have been better, but I'll include it. I haven't seen some of those and I doubt I will. Perhaps Inherent Vice but I wasn't that thrilled with the book.
I thought Boogie Nights was great. Other than that, mostly eh. I do think there's a terrific hour and a half in Magnolia somewhere...
It's a weird thing where I find myself confused (and likely alone) in the opinion that There Will Be Blood is one of the greatest films ever made, yet everything else he's done is at best, okay.
i think he's become a much more interesting filmmaker since boogie/magnolia, he is certainly always developing and growing. i enjoyed his work right from 'hard eight' ... but i like him even more, now that he's seemed to have put aside his acrobatic scorsese-like aesthetic (camera and sound/music) .... that stuff is kinetic and exciting but it gets boring after a while for me, as i take it as an extra layer of artifice. with that said, as a film sound professional/enthusiast, i thought he did some very adventurous things in magnolia .... the dissonance created by blending the score in with the music in the bar for example, created a tension that i thought was excellent, it was a real visceral effect, and a brave choice, that most filmmakers / producers would scoff at and not allow due to underestimating the audience. sonic cacophony creating true aural discomfort in an audience. i'm always curious what he'll do next.
This was my main issue with the film - its like you have to watch a documentary on it first before watching the film. Films about fairly niche subjects shouldn't be like this, you are at an instant disadvantage of understanding what is going on.
I respect The Master - well made film, excellent actors - but I couldnt get into it either, and I have zero desire to read up on scientology or what real things inspired the film. Just not my thing
I havent seen all on the list, but There will Be Blood is a top ten all timer for me. And it's weird because it's not like Plainview is a great guy, and as a bad guy, he's not a lot of fun either, it's a creepy madness he goes through. and I don't even really like the last part of the film and the milk shake part. But the first 2/3 of the film are absolutely mesmerizing for me, DDL's acting, the scenery, the music.
i really know nothing about scientology .... but i also enjoy film for more than just story/plot/medium for delivering a narrative .... so maybe that is why i found it a worthwhile and even an enjoyable (from an aesthetic point of view) experience. that said, an interest in psychology and manipulative tactics in general, which i certainly do have, also helps in enjoying this particular film. ymmv of course.
1. There Will Be Blood (duh) 2. Boogie Nights 3. The Master (I was torn between this and Punch Drunk Love for #3).
BOOGIE NIGHTS THERE WILL BE BLOOD PHANTOM THREAD He's made some pretty bravura films over the years. I can definitely admire his audacity to tackle projects with the kind of ensemble casts not really seen since Robert Altman. He sometimes wears his influences on his sleeve, but if you're going to take inspiration from those who came before, at least take inspiration from the greats. He's moved into the top echelon of directors at this point. I can't find much to criticize about his work, as all of his films are never less than interesting and some rise to the level of greatness.
My wife and I enjoyed The Master, and know a considerable amount about the crimes of the "Church" of Scientology, but the film isn't on our top three Paul Thomas Anderson list. Some brilliant performances, but I wish he could have just told the story straight rather than through metaphor. Magnolia is on my list, and I disagree with the idea that it should be chopped down. It's a huge sprawling story, and one worthy of being told. But my favorite has to remain Boogie Nights. It's one of the best tellings of a story about a dysfunctional family, and an industry that gets no respect.
My feeling was that, while the story itself was worthy of a sprawling treatment, Anderson - as a filmmaker - wasn't capable of executing it. It's a film that - each time I happen across it - I'm rooting for, but I just find the great parts so great and rest a real over-reach. I'd use the frogs as one example. But who knows, maybe I'll feel differently next time I see it.
Loved Boogie Nights. A perfect movie, up there with Goodfellas. Thought The Master was fantastic and weird. Hard Eight is OK. After that, I don't like any of them. Walked out of the theater for Magnolia. Tried to watch it years later and gave up again. I respect Anderson for his attempts. Sometimes he misses, but when he's on, he's one of the best. And I dig that a movie I find unwatchable is loved by others.
