Paul Thomas Anderson

[skuhn8]

That's it. Thanks once again, jorencain. I was probably not in a good mood when I first watched PDL.

By all means watch it again. The fact that you didn't get the phone sex thing indicates you really weren't thinking about what was going on as the whole film is really about this sad fellow's inability to make a connection. He got dogged by his overbearing sisters throughout childhood, then managed to make a business for himself, but all the while unable to reach out and find himself as a whole, the prerequisite for finding someone else in any meaningful way.

And then this is the sad albeit comedic aspect of this masterpiece: it's a shitty world we live in and this guy who is both "pure" and extremely wound in a violent disposition gets shit on when he makes any attempt to reach out. Those who could help either stand back wary of his plea, or utterly screw him over. In the end he finds himself and through Lena's quirky risk-taking and "makes a call" for justice.

I didn't see this film until it came out on DVD and I borrowed it from a colleague. I was warned away from the reviews (again). When I saw it on DVD I gushed about it so much my colleague told me to keep the fucking DVD as he couldn't make heads or tails of it. When the disc ended the most articulate response from the three people I saw it with (including my wife) was "huh". I know it's kind of a cop-out to claim "either it hits you or it doesn't" but I believe this is definitely one of those films. I'm glad it hit me because it's one of the few films that really reaches into my soul and....ok ok....enough already.

And Adam Sandler. Granted, I'm a big PTA fan (except for Hard 8 or whatever he wants to call it) but when I heard he had Adam Sandler lined up for his next film I thought he was sucking up to the big studios to help finance his next 'real' project. I don't care much for Adam, definitely don't like his movies, but he was spot on in this IMO.

[Andre Jurieu]

It's a film that lives in a world all its own and that makes no apologies for being just the way it is.

So is Magnolia. And also Boogie Nights.

Not really. Magnolia and Boogie Nights take place in a similar reality to our own. Even though we are immersed into the weird world of porn in Boogie Nights and with the rain of frogs serving as climax in Magnolia both earlier films reflect the world outside the movie theatre and obey the basic rules of reality that the audience will have to once we exit the theatre. Both films function in a small sect within our own world. Meanwhile Punch Drunk Love radiates a truly absurd atmosphere, where the most random events occur and the most bizarre rules apply. The film obviously takes place in a mirror of our world, where reality is slightly warped and no real permanent logic applies. There's a growing tension and anxiety within the film and the pressure and frustration is released in some very odd ways, only to pause momentarily and reboot itself - essentially acting as a reflection of Barry's disposition.

The characters in those films seem a lot more complex and real - much more than those in PDL

Again, PTA doesn't seem to want his characters in PDL to act as regular people living in the real world. He seems to have simplified his characters in order to have them function within the atmosphere he has created, and he seems more concerned that they use basic emotions such as rage, fear, and love to create connections with one another. The point isn't really for us to relate to the characters so much as it is to see how these basic emotions fuel one another within this pseudo-reality.

But the whole thing with the sex phone thing.. whats the point?!

I agree with jorencain's assessment, though I do believe Barry is also looking for some form of sexual release to counter his anxiety. During that scene watch where PTA places Barry within his frame. It's as if he is so insignificant and emasculated at that point that the camera wants to ignore him, or is simply ashamed to have paid attention to him in the first place.

[Michael]

Thanks to every one of you.. you've helped me to understand why I didn't like PDL in the first place. Very helpful perspectives. I will keep all that in mind when watching PDL again shortly.

From what I remember, I had a ridiculously high expectation when I first went to see PDL.. it was because at that time I was already obsessed with Magnolia
(even to this day I fail to understand how anyone could think less of Magnolia...oh well). It's soo great and I can't thank PT Anderson enough for creating such a beautiful tapesty of characters.. every one so amazingly memorable that you even remember their names years later.

[exte]

I'm sorry, but I think being able to infinitely quote a movie is a sign of its greatness, that being Boogie Nights. Those who argue can visit the Big Lebowski thread. But seriously, I can go on and on with that movie, and I don't think I've done that once with an Altman movie. And I like the dude. Scorsese's films? Yes, but not to the extent of Boogie Nights. For those who call PTA a hack, I advise you to read his script for Boogie. So many things were altered in the final movie, things that were taken to a new level that only a fine director can do with excellent actors.

[jorencain]

I just want to say that I'm very surprised at the overwhelmingly negative reception of "Magnolia". I love that film, and I understand what complaints you guys have about it, but I don't see any of those things as problems. I don't really have a good argument for it, other than I was completely drawn in and emotionally involved with it the first time I watched it, and that continues to be the case. Tom Cruise was a l little overwrought, admittedly, but I didn't mind it. Anyway, on with the discussion, I just wanted to throw that out there.

[ben d banana]

I'm sorry, but I think being able to infinitely quote a movie is a sign of its greatness

Yes! Showgirls vindicated again!

[Polybius]

I'm sorry, but I think being able to infinitely quote a movie is a sign of its greatness, that being Boogie Nights. Those who argue can visit the Big Lebowski thread. But seriously, I can go on and on with that movie, and I don't think I've done that once with an Altman movie.

You don't quote M*A*S*H? I could do that for hours.

"Olives?!? Where th' hell ya thank ya are, man?"

[Michael]

I just want to say that I'm very surprised at the overwhelmingly negative reception of "Magnolia". I love that film, and I understand what complaints you guys have about it, but I don't see any of those things as problems. I don't really have a good argument for it, other than I was completely drawn in and emotionally involved with it the first time I watched it, and that continues to be the case. Tom Cruise was a l little overwrought, admittedly, but I didn't mind it. Anyway, on with the discussion, I just wanted to throw that out there.

Yes! You're so right on. I don't know if anyone notices the beautifully subtle use of colors. All the colors of magnolia: cream white, magenta pink, dark green, brown, blue (sky). During the interview with Frank Mackey, notice the photographer's shade lamp (what is that called?)..how it appears like a magnolia blossom lit in creamy white. In Earl Partridge's home, brown is the prominent color.. Earl being the oldest soul is the dirt and the trunk of the magnolia tree ... feeding, sprouting a family of damanged blossoms. The young boy Stanley's scenes are soaked in blue as the sky. Dreamer? Hopeful? A moment in the library, Stanely stares out at the sky dreamily, full of peace and happiness as the frogs fall.

There is a variety of pink shades in Claudia's apartment. In the heart of every magnolia blossom, there is a pink wreath.. making me think that Claudia is the heart of the film. PT Anderson once said that Claudia was the first character that came ot his mind. The ending with Claudia was the first scene that he wrote.

[redbill]

There is a variety of pink shades in Claudia's apartment. In the heart of every magnolia blossom, there is a pink wreath.. making me think that Claudia is the heart of the film. PT Anderson once said that Claudia was the first character that came ot his mind. The ending with Claudia was the first scene that he wrote.

I think I heard the dinner with John C. was the first scene he wrote. The Claudia character was inspired by the Aimee Mann song with the "Now that we've met, would you object to never seeing me again" line...

Now that I start to think about Claudia's apartment, it reminds me a Barry Egan's apartment & office: dark, shades drawn. They're similar characters, both suffer from some form of agoraphobia. Claudia's from being abused, and Barry's from having 7 (?) sisters.

[Michael]

What I meant was that Claudia was the first character that PT Anderson created for Magnolia. But I wasn't sure which scene it was - the dinner scene or the final scene with the Save Me song playing but I always thought it was the latter because PT Anderson claimed that he wrote Magnolia backward from the ending if I'm not mistaken. It's been years since I visited http://www.paulthomasanderson.com.

[Andre Jurieu]

I'm sorry, but I think being able to infinitely quote a movie is a sign of its greatness

Does that mean Whipped and Austin Powers 2 are great, because I have friends who quote them endlessly?

[putney]

sorry to bring this topic up again, but really, one of Anderson's biggest influences is Robert Downey sr., and it rarely gets mentioned...

and yes, hahaha, my user name is....

putney

(and i may be a prince, but i'm not R.D.sr..)

[bufordsharkley]

I'm a huge fan of Punch Drunk Love-- probably one of two movies made in the last decade that I'd put in my top 100. It's just so beautiful and simple-- the best purely romantic film made since Sunrise.

While Sunrise was a masterpiece of generality, Punch Drunk revels, and ultimately succeeds, in its arbitrariness. So many stupid, unexplainable details, and a subplot pulled directly from modern Urban Mythology-- what exemplifies the bizarre exactitudes of love better?

But I don't know, the whole thing is just so sweeping, and so utterly nice. The colors, the music-- I can think of few things I'd rather set my eyes and ears upon for two hours. And gripping, too. I get chills every time I see Barry confront the three brothers.

...That said, I think Hard Eight and Boogie Nights are interesting, if slight. Magnolia was awful-- so many plotlines that aren't worth putting on film. Just because coincidences occur doesn't mean that they're inherently interesting.

One more note: Popeye, while flawed, in my opinion, was a great film in its own right. Its narrative flow never got off the ground, but it really was a pleasant little consortium of throwaway gags. And not for an instant could I forget that Altman made it-- his fingerprints were all over the thing, and the movie was infinitely better for it.

[Antoine Doinel]

Well, one thing Paul Thomas Anderson and Robert Altman have in common is pissing off New Line head, Bob Shaye.

[quote]Then there was his tiff with the late Robert Altman, who refused to cut his 1993 masterpiece Short Cuts. “It was a great movie but it wasn't worth spending three hours and ten minutes on,â€

[patrick]

I honestly think that cutting Boogie Nights would be an idiotic move, the movie is constantly moving and removing scenes would more than likely just lessen its impact. That said, I'm admittedly a gigantic fan of the film, even though PTA certainly wears his influences on his sleeve, on the front of his shirt, and everywhere else.

[exte]

In the commentary, PTA talks about Philip Seymour Hoffman doing the scene in the car after Dirk rejects Scotty's need to kiss him, and he's saying "I'm a fucking idiot" nine times. New Line asked him to cut that to maybe one or two times, and he said sure and ignored it. I think this was referring to incidents like that...

[Belmondo]

Classic movies must stand the test of time and we will see how well PTA holds up. My guess is that he will do pretty well. BOOGIE NIGHTS contains pretty much everything Hollywood has ever offered and I agree with an earlier post that the excellent deleted scenes show just how carefully the movie was constructed. PUNCH DRUNK LOVE and MAGNOLIA are open to criticism, particularly as they fail to convey a depth of character necessary to draw deeper meaning from both films, but, we are still left with enough substance to provoke the pages of discussion we see here. Robert Altman wanted to be a maverick who stood Hollywood conventions on their head - Shakespeare tells us that we are "poor players who strut and fret our hour upon the stage", but Altman tells us that the stage is entirely an ensemble effort and the play is not about what you think it is about. GOSFORD PARK isn't about the rich folks upstairs, it's about the servants. THIEVES LIKE US is not about bank robberies and gun battles, it's about rural America in the 1930's and the people who live in it. I could go on, but these filmmakers share an understanding of the connectedness which joins, and perhaps plagues, us all. Altman perfected the ensemble, now let's see if PTA can keep it going with enough depth to make it worth watching twenty years from now.

[Magic Hate Ball]

I fail to see how Punch-Drunk Love could possibly not become a classic.

[justeleblanc]

I fail to see how Punch-Drunk Love could possibly not become a classic.

That's a joke, right?

[Magic Hate Ball]

I fail to see how Punch-Drunk Love could possibly not become a classic.

That's a joke, right?

It depends on the reader.

[Awesome Welles]

I fail to see how Punch-Drunk Love could possibly not become a classic.

Seconded.

[Hrossa]

Well, I can see how it could possibly not become a classic. But that doesn't mean I don't want my kids to learn it along with the audiobooks of Macbeth and Things Fall Apart they'll be assigned when they go to high school.

[Polybius]

That's a joke, right?

Thank God. I was afraid that all of the PTA skeptics had wandered away from the board.

[Magic Hate Ball]

That's a joke, right?

Thank God. I was afraid that all of the PTA skeptics had wandered away from the board.

Thank god, indeed. I never really understood how PT Anderson reached the heights he has. Sydney/Hard Eight is, obviously, his best movie, in which his stylistic influences are understated and thus work better. His second film, Boogie Nights, shows a clearer understanding of his varios idols' use of mise-en-scène, but overuses them to the extent that viewers begin to feel absolutely saturated with steadicam shots and other things like that. Finally, we reach his absolutely godawful Magnolia, in which characters stumble through absurd situations while Anderson forces strange cinematography on the audience, throwing dolly shots and montages at them for no reason other than "it looks pretty".

While Punch-Drunk Love is, thankfully, not as bad as Magnolia, it's still frighteningly grating on the viewers, with bizarre song choices and overlit sets. Hopefully his newest film, There Will Be Blood shows considerably more control, and maybe we'll see a new Hard Eight from this director who showed so much promise in the beginning but fell prey to ripping off from his favorite movies. Hell, I could make a movie with nothing but Altman and Scorcese and Kubrick references and I'd probably win the Golden Bear award, too.

Well, I can see how it could possibly not become a classic. But that doesn't mean I don't want my kids to learn it along with the audiobooks of Macbeth and Things Fall Apart they'll be assigned when they go to high school.

Well, sure, I was just being facetious. It never fails to amaze me just how overlooked PT Anderson can be. I understand the relative obscurity of Sydney/Hard Eight (arguably his worst, most amateur film), but Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love are incredible gifts to the film community. Boogie Nights not only carries so many fantastic references to such directors as Altman and Scorcese, but contains a riveting and sometimes hilarious plot about a rising porn star and all of his friends, including a great character by William H. Macy. Anderson's next film, and arguably his best, Magnolia, featuring an endless number of amazing actors in amazing performances, each just as incredibly interesting as the next.

Anderson continued with his incredible two-person film Punch-Drunk Love, in which he (geniusly) puts the regular Adam Sandler character into a strange, hopeless, and absurd sitation that's completely devoid of slapstick. This turns his character on its ear, and with amazing results. The incredible set design, lightning, and coloring only adds to the mixed-up craziness. Add to that the soundtrack (a bewildering and frustrating one by Jon Brion) and it's a nearly perfect film. I really cannot wait for his next film, There Will Be Blood. Hopefully he's even more wonderfully unrestrained in this one.

[nickxero]

Apparently while PTA & crew were working on "There Will Be Blood", he had the whole crew watch "Treasure Of The Sierra Madre" for look, mood, and many other things I'm sure.

Ditto for "Magnolia", where he made the crew watch "Network".

What parts of these films do you see transfer over into their PTA counterparts?

Does anyone know what "inspirations" he had on the sets of "Hard Eight", "Boogie Nights" and "Punch Drunk Love"?

Discuss.