Films: Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson, often referred to as PTA, has become one of the most promising directors in a long while. After just five films PTA has already been nominated for numerous awards, including five Academy Awards for best picture, best director, and best screenplay. PTA was born in Studio City, California to Bonnie and Ernie Anderson, the latter of which was the voice of ABC. PTA attended several schools, including NYU which he dropped out of after only two weeks. His first sign of recognition came after entering his short film Coffee & Cigarettes into Sundance. After positive reviews PTA made his first film Hard Eight.
PTA's first big success was the film Boogie Nights, which followed the career of up and coming porn star Dirk Diggler and the lives of those around him. PTA established himself as a bright young star and received an immense amount of credit as it was one of the best reviewed films of the year. The film introduced the audience to PTA's skill behind the camera, including an opening long shot that runs several minutes long.
His second film, Magnolia, followed the lives of several people in a linked storyline. The film garnered mostly positive reviews and was again another Oscar nominated effort of PTA's. PTA further illustrated his skill with those same long shots and his expert story telling ability. The film started to draw comparisons to childhood idol Robert Altman and good friend Quentin Tarantino.
Punch Drunk Love was about a small business man and his relationship with a woman introduced to him by one of his seven sisters. The film starred Adam Sandler and would again receive favorable reviews, mostly for bringing out a real actor in the usually comic Sandler.
Career making performances weren't uncommon in Anderson's films as he has helped establish Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Adam Sandler, John C. Reily, Don Cheadle, and many more as capable actors. Not to mention resurrecting Burt Reynolds' career.
PTA's latest film There Will Be Blood saw Anderson make, what many call, an American epic. The film follows Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day Lewis, as he quests for oil through greed, religion, and whatever else it takes. The film was highly acclaimed and has launched PTA into one of the greatest working directors today. He also lead Day Lewis to an Oscar win. His use of scope and his ability to draw people into his story is often credited with his success as a filmmaker.
PTA has several trademarks, not all of them involving the camera. He usually has Jon Brion compose the score to his films, uses expertly shot long shots, fantastic ensemble casts, an amazing ability to tell stories, and a vision behind the camera that makes every film seem timeless.
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2 comments:
Great... I wonder how PTA holds up to the critique of autuer theory because so many of his trademarks, as you point out, are collaborative in nature.
Yeah, I've read that PTA is very involved with a lot of the process. So much so that he almost got his whole crew to sign off on their opening title credits in order to make the only opening credit read "a PTA film." One guy held off though so the opening credits still happened, but that seems to say a lot about how lower level collaborators feel about him.
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