Free Inquiry #8: Paul Thomas Anderson.

For this week I felt like I had a block when it came to a type of shot or editing which I wanted to focus on. I found it incredibly hard to motivate myself to complete the blog when I was focusing on a type of shot so for this week I wanted to focus on one of my favorite directors of all time, Paul Thomas Anderson. He has made ten feature length films during his career and I have currently seen eight of them but I am really hoping to watch the other two very soon. The two I am still missing are called, Punch Drunk Love and Inherent Vice. For this blog post I will be covering the films I have seen from Paul Thomas Anderson in chronological order and giving my personal rating for all. This will be less of an analysis but a post of appreciation and a recommendation to all those reading.

Hard Eight [1996]

1. Length: 1hr 42mins
2. Genre: Crime/Drama
3. Average Rating: 7.2/10
4. Personal Rating: 7/10
5. Awards: None
6. Description:

Hard Eight was Paul Thomas Anderson’s debut feature film and while it is my lowest rated of his films I would still definitely recommend it. The film was also an original screenplay which was written by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film stars Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson. The story is based around John (John C. Reilly) and is set in Las Vegas. The movie revolves around the character of John (John C. Reilly) being mentored in scamming casinos by Sydney (Philip Baker Hall). To describe the rest of the film would be spoiling a lot of it so I would definitely recommend just watching the movie.

Boogie Nights [1997]

1. Length: 2hrs 35mins
2. Genre: Drama/Comedy
3. Average Rating: 7.9/10
4. Personal Rating: 8/10
5. Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay
6. Description:

The second film which Paul Thomas Anderson directed and wrote is called Boogie Nights. This film is much more widely known than the film which preceded it and I would not be surprised if most reading this have seen or at least heard of the film before. The film stars, Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, Nicole Parker, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film is set in the San Fernando Valley, as are many of PTA’s films, and is centered around Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) going from working in a nightclub to an extremely popular pornographic actor throughout the 1970s and 1980s. I would highly recommend this film and will go into no more detail as to not spoil it for anyone who has not seen it.

Magnolia [1999]

1. Length: 3hrs 8mins
2. Genre: Drama
3. Average Rating: 8/10
4. Personal Rating: 9/10
5. Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song
6. Description:

Magnolia is the third film which Paul Thomas Anderson directed and wrote and is the longest film which he has made to this date. The cast in this movie is huge so I will just name those who would be considered main characters. These actors include, Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, Philip Baker Hall, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. This film is a mosaic in which all the characters are linked through some connection and is again set in the San Fernando Valley. It is extremely hard to describe the plot of this movie mainly because it follows so many characters but it also does not follow a conventional story structure. The best way I could describe this film is that it simply follows characters as they go throughout their existence and it is a wild ride. This is one of my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson films and would highly recommend it to anyone.

There Will Be Blood [2007]

1. Length: 2hrs 38mins
2. Genre: Drama
3. Average Rating: 8.2/10
4. Personal Rating: 10/10
5. Awards: Won Best Actor, Best Cinematography / Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Editing
6. Description:

There Will Be Blood is the fifth feature which Paul Thomas Anderson and while the screenplay was written by him, it is the first film which he adapted from a pre-existing novel. The novel it is based on is called Oil and was written by Upton Sinclair. This is one of my twenty-five 10/10 films I have seen and is probably one of my favourite movies ever made. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis (My favourite actor), Paul Dano, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ciaran Hinds, and Dillon Freasier. The story revolves around Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), and his transition from a lowly silver miner to an oilman in California. I would highly recommend this movie to everyone and I believe it is a masterpiece.

The Master [2012]

1. Length: 2hrs 18mins
2. Genre: Drama
3. Average Rating: 7.1/10
4. Personal Rating: 8/10
5. Awards: Nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress
6. Description:

The Master is Paul Thomas Anderson’s sixth feature film and was written and directed by him as well. It stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. It follows the character of Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a WWII veteran trying to adjust to a post-war lifestyle, who meets a charismatic preacher named Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his wife Peggy Dodd (Amy Adams) who run a movement called “The Cause”. Quell is then accepted into the movement and the story is about his journey inside of the religious group. I really like this film and even though it is not my favourite PTA film I would still undoubtedly recommend it.

Phantom Thread [2017]

1. Length: 2hrs 10mins
2. Genre: Drama/Romance
3. Average Rating: 7.5/10
4. Personal Rating: 10/10
5. Awards: Won Best Costume Design / Nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Music, Best Director, Best Picture
6. Description:

Phantom Thread is Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature film and he again both wrote and directed the film. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis (In his final role), Lesley Manville, and Vicky Krieps. The film is set in 1950s London, and is about a dress maker named Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his muse Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps). This film is another one of my twenty-five 10/10 films and the second 10/10 from Paul Thomas Anderson. I would highly recommend this film if you have not seen it.

Licorice Pizza [2021]

1. Length: 2hrs 13mins
2. Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
3. Average Rating: 7.5/10
4. Personal Rating: 9/10
5. Awards: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay
6. Description:

Licorice Pizza is the newest Paul Thomas Anderson film and came out in 2021. It was both directed and written by PTA and stars both Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son) in their debut roles, as well as, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie. It centers around a child actor named Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) in the San Fernando Valley, navigating growing up with his friends and starting businesses. This movie is a fantastic story about someone growing up in an environment where they take so much responsibility for their family and friends well-beings. I would highly recommend this film to anyone and is one of the more accessible films in PTA’s catalogue.