Born: June 26, 1970
Occupation: Director, Screenwriter
Best Work: There Will Be Blood
Other Highlights: Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, Hard Eight
Upcoming Film: The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson has only made five feature films to date in his entire career. However, each film offers so much conversation and deep exploration into its subjects that it gives back with multiple viewings. Few filmmakers have the potential to enrich so much out of their material, especially when their material is self-generated. You may not always like what he has to offer, but the invitation to dive into the worlds he creates is one that is undeniable.
His first feature was a little movie called Hard Eight, a notoriously dogged production as Anderson had the least control over this project and wrestled with much studio interference. Even with all that baggage, the movie is a pretty solid effort for a first timer. There’s not a great through-line with the film, however, and it actually plays more like three short films strung together by, admittedly, some weak glue. Still, Anderson shows us what’s to come in his future, and plays with audiences’ sensibilities while also giving us some really good performances to admire.
His next film, Boogie Nights, is like a mini-masterpiece in his filmography. I’m completely fascinated with “industry films”: when a film pulls back the curtain on a type of business and gives a look behind the scenes. Before I saw the film, I would never have guessed the porn industry would be such an interesting backdrop for this fascinating tale. Anderson laces all these interconnecting characters with genuine detail, and he’s a master juggler with a slight of hand that invokes a magician that knows exactly how to pull it off. He’s bolstered by a terrific ensemble, but his direction is quite skilled.
Magnolia is probably the most divisive film not only in Anderson’s career, but in the history of cinema itself. There’s very few moderate opinions out there on this film: either you think it’s a fantastic work of art dealing with a layered and complex story, or you think its an overwrought, overstuffed, meandering, dull mess. I actually belong to the latter group. I’m not a fan of this film and quickly became disinterested in its disassociated characters and a howler of an ending that threw any credibility it had out the window. Thankfully I find solace in a great performance from Tom Cruise, but for me, this is my least favorite of his entire works. I’m not alone on the issue, but I’m well aware I’m not unified either.
When Anderson announced that his follow-up to such heavy dramas Boogie Nights and Magnolia was going to be an Adam Sandler comedy, many people thought he was joking. On face value, Punch-Drunk Love would seem like an invitation to be a part of something lower of desired quality. But like most Anderson films, it can’t help but be something more. The film actually works as an answer to all those annoying characters Sandler plays, giving an understanding to the frustration and anger that boils beneath the surface. It will make you see Sandler in a completely different light. I do think the film has some pacing issues and not every off-kilter music choice works, but as the story unfurls into something more ambitious than it originally intended, it’s a great discovery to make.
There Will Be Blood is great. Not only is it great, but I’ve now come to recognize it as the cream of the crop in an already great year that was 2007. Not only that, but I think it’s the best film of the 2000s. Everytime I revisit this film, I’m constantly amazed at how much it is able to give back. I’m still picking out tiny details from the film, and it’s like I’m rediscovering it for the first time again. Anderson’s direction compacts a lot of great elements on the surface, and as you dive down deeper into his layered screenplay, you are filled with a sense of wonder and enchantment. No doubt much of that also has to do with a bravado performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but it’s Anderson’s work that is really held to a high standard. He lays out a map filled with unchartered terrain, and even as a guide he doesn’t lead us directly to the end. What he does do is start the path and then ascends into the omnipotent role above, leaving us to fend for ourselves. But he doesn’t desert us, and the idea that we are making a self-discovery while never knowing the manipulated hand takes a master craftsmen.
There’s not many people who are able to pick up the tools and automatically create something fantastic. Paul Thomas Anderson is one of those people, and I believe he is a certified genius. While though I don’t like every film of his, even four out of five is enough to get a recommendation on toothpaste. Anderson is currently working on his upcoming Scientology film set to star Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeremy Renner. Unfortunately, the film has hit walls regarding its financing and creative endeavors, and is currently put on hold. I’m eagerly awaiting for the film, which sounds like more fascinating territory to be explored. Everything this man does is a gem of artistry. I hope this jeweler never retires.
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