Boogie Nights
Paul Thomas Anderson Tour (#1)
The sad fact is that I’ve seen only one Paul Thomas Anderson film (There Will Be Blood) before seeing this, and like many other films that I’ve put to the side, the regret I feel not seeing this till now is immense.
Boogie Nights should have technically been impossible to pull off. Yet every single aspect blends together with a sense of cohesion that is rarely seen in films with this magnitude of scope; from the famous long take at the start of the film to the rollercoaster of a narrative that we experience, I can’t believe it all works so damn well.
The talent in the film is not limited to the all-star cast that would all go on to become A-listers, but also the writer/director himself, PTA. I was thinking about it while watching and realized that the man was in his 20’s when he made this. His FREAKING 20’s. Holy shit, that’s GOD STATUS.
Since I think we have Magnolia somewhere in the house, I guess it’s time I go on my own little trip down PTA’s filmography, something that I’m sure will shake up my “Top Directors of All Time” list.