1. Magnolia - 9/10
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nitin-the-animal — 9 years ago(July 07, 2016 11:46 AM)
https://flixnclicks.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/ranking-all-paul-thomas-anderson-films/
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nitin-the-animal — 9 years ago(July 07, 2016 12:19 PM)
https://flixnclicks.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/ranking-all-paul-thomas-anderson-films/
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yoyobennyprofane — 9 years ago(October 28, 2016 11:15 AM)
- There Will Be Blood
- Inherent Vice
- The Master
- Hard Eight
- Punch-Drunk Love
- Magnolia
- Boogie Nights
Only responding, because I recently watched all of his films again after having viewed them over and over years, and I was surprised how much my opinions of them have changed. Back i5b4n the day, I must have watched Boogie Nights and Magnolia over and over again on a loop for years, because I thought they were complete masterpieces. Both made me extremely emotional. Watched them again after about two or three years of having not seen either. Magnolia was still good, but it wasn't nearly as earnestly emotional as I thought it was. All the pieces are there, but it just doesn't hit me on a visceral level anymore.
Boogie Nights still hits me on a visceral level, but it's an overindulgent (more so than Magnolia, I'd say) film that is all over the place for no reason. That drug deal scene? Amazing scene, but what does it have to do with the movie? I mean, I know the historical significance of it, but it has nothing to do with the rest of the narrative. It's overly long, for no good reason, and I didn't connect with any of the characters this time around. I mean, we're ranking PTA films here, so I'm not saying it's not greater than most movies, but in his catalogue, I find it the weakest.
If he hadn't made the perfect masterpiece of There Will Be Blood, I'd put Inherent Vice on top of the list. It's even more structurally unsound, but it was meant to be. It seems that way, but on repeat viewings (of which I've had many), you come to realize how precise that film is. And what a feat it is. Nearly every line in that film is hysterically funny, but he manages to play it so straight and genre-based that you do111cn't even realize it's such a consistently hilarious comedy. It's so disciplined that it's astounding.
The Master takes me in and never lets me go every time. Great use of limited dialogue.
Hard Eight is a solid first entry into film, and is outstanding for a cheap indie film. You can find seeds for every other film he's done in that film.
Punch-Drunk Love is just outstanding, as well. It's deeply emotional, and you don't just get lucky with scenes like the ones with PSH in that film. Beautiful acting but also an amazing script to let it have so much resonance.
Overall, though, I don't think he's really made a BAD film. I personally don't like Boogie Nights anymore, but it's better than most junk out there. Not everything out there, but most, and it was explosive at the time, which can't be discounted.