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Profile - P.T. Anderson

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To me Paul Thomas Anderson is the modern equivalent of Martin Scorsese. His films are full of the urgency and vibrancy of the earlier Scorsese films, combined with a degree of technical virtuosity that's the sign of a master of the medium. There's an obvious joy of cinema in his work; he revels in the cinematic process and what it's capable of. P.T. Anderson is the most accomplished example of a 'movie geek' director; someone who's watched a mountain of movies and they've seeped through his skin into the very centre of his being. He seems to me to be incapable of making a bad movie - even at this early stage of his career. Watching Hard Eight, you would never think that this is someone's first movie, and a mere three films into his career he comes up with with the marvel that is Magnolia - absolutely remarkable. Now if he could just pick up the pace a little...
   
Hard Eight
There are a lot of familiar faces and household names in this film. Samuel L. Jackson turns up, Gwyneth Paltrow co-stars and you'll notice the two stars - John C. Reilly and Philip Baker Hall in Boogie Nights and Magnolia. And yet very few people have seen this film. It's a well made piece about addiction and regret. Baker-Hall plays a father figure to Reilly, whom he is trying to set on the right path in life, but Reilly is finding the going tough and keeps straying from the straight and narrow. Watching the cast alone makes this a film worth seeking out. Philip Baker Hall is magnificent and John C. Reilly exhibits all the signs of the great actor he was about to become.
Boogie Nights
This is the film where most people became aware of P.T. Anderson because it was fairly popular at the cinema and on DVD. The subject matter is intriguing and I think that was in large part why it was popular. It was notable for me because of the batch of great actors all in the one film - here you have Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Luis Guzman, Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, Tom Cruise, and Burt Reynolds at the very top of his game. Of course, nominally the star of the show is Mark Wahlberg, who does  an acceptable job, but the real reason for watching this are the supporting cast and the emergence of a true talent in P.T. Anderson.
Magnolia
This is where all the talent that P.T. Anderson promised in the first two projects is delivered, and in spades. If you've been around the rest of  this site you'll already know how highly I regard this film, and most of the actors in it, so I'll just say  that you really have to see it. Anyone who appreciates the  mechanics of film, or the  value of a good story well told or the joy of watching so many fine performances all in one film should appreciate this.  Everything about it screams quality, finesse, competence and style. Everyone knows exactly what they're doing and it all goes off without a hitch. The verve and audacity shown in this movie is breathtaking for film geeks everywhere.
Punch Drunk Love
This is a weird one. Adam Sandler in a love story by P.T. Anderson with a running time of under ninety minutes. The figures just don't seem to add up. And yet it all works brilliantly. It's off the wall and it's totally engrossing. Adam Sandler is very good indeed in the central role of Barry Egan, a man in love and prepared to go to any lengths to prove it to the girl of his dreams. Philip Seymour Hoffman appears to great effect in a cameo as a heartless conman obstructing Sandler's path to true happiness, and there are some unexpected left turns in the plot which I found refreshing. This is a feel good fable with a sharp twist of reality woven through it. Very enjoyable.
There Will Be Blood
Just as accomplished as Magnolia, but rather than featuring a magnificent ensemble cast this film focuses on one character almost exclusively - Daniel Plainview; a ruthless robber baron in the early days of oil exploration in California. This film would probably have bagged most of the major awards at the Oscars if No Country For Old Men hadn't been released in the same year. As it is it took only two - for cinematography and best actor. The chameleon-like Daniel Day-Lewis coud hardly fail to win for his unforgettable performance as the single-minded Plainview, but there's a lot more to appreciate in this film - from the striking cinematography and deftly handled editing to the assured directing and slick camerawork. Minor quibbles aside, I think this a film that will still be watched fifty or a hundred years from now and speaking for myself I think it will improve with each viewing.

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