There are many elements that indicate a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. The celebrated auteur is known for his long epics that are more often than not period dramas. He often works with the same actors, with a roster that includes none other than Daniel Day-Lewis. And the movies are more character studies than they are narrative-driven.
That recipe has cooked up some of the most revered films of the past 25 years, including Punch Drunk Love, Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood. But those movies understandably aren't for everyone, and some Redditors want their voices to be heard when it comes to their unpopular opinions of the director's films.
Inherent Vice Is One Of His Best Films
When Anderson returned after a five-year break with The Master in 2012, fans thought it was going to be another half-decade until the next dose of period-drama whimsy. However, to everyone's surprise, the director swiftly followed up with Inherent Vice, just two years later. The movie is much more accessible than anything the director has done before, as a "stoner movie" in the vein of The Big Lebowski. But despite that, it got Anderson his worst reviews yet, as many felt it was lacking in narrative, too incoherent, and pretty frustrating for most viewers.
However, Redditor TheAlwaysClassy thinks otherwise, and they don't just think it's one of Anderson's best films, but it's in their "top three films of the decade."
The Cinematography In There Will Be Blood Is Overrated
Of all of Anderson's movies, the one that is unanimously praised is There Will Be Blood. It has an 8.2 on IMDb, the highest of all of his movies, and is widely considered Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece. Part of the reason why is because of the stunning cinematography, but not everybody thinks the cinematography is all it's cracked up to be.
Visualsplendor thinks the film shouldn't be referred to as one of the most well-shot movies of the 21st century, saying that "the colors aren't satisfying to look at" and calling it "overexposed." But given that the movie is about oil and it takes place in more remote areas of the U.S., it isn't exactly going to be the most colorful movie in the world.
Phantom Thread Is Boring
Despite being a period drama, and despite it starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread is an outlier in Anderson's filmography, as it's quite romantic. It follows an haute couture dressmaker who becomes obsessed with a waitress. Though it isn't the most beloved PTA movie, it still received generally positive reviews and is well-liked by audiences.
However, the 2017 film is one of the more slower-paced Anderson-directed movies, which is saying a lot considering that none of his movies are in any rush to get anywhere. And that might be why a select few don't like it. Using absolute sarcasm to get their point across, funkisintheair argues that it was "super boring so I know it was good and can feel superior."
Daniel Day-Lewis Overacts In Phantom Thread
Another armchair critic isn't on the same train of thought as the majority when it comes to Phantom Thread, as HettyPetty88 has a problem with Daniel Day-Lewis' performance in the 1950s-based movie. It isn't just Phantom Thread either, as the Reddit user criticizes several of the actors' performances, saying that "Phantom Thread and There Will Be Blood are the worst offenders."
The Redditor is completely on their own here, though, as Day-Lewis won the Academy Award for Best Actor for There Will Be Blood and both performances are inarguably two of the best performances in a P.T. Anderson movie. And though they say that Day-Lewis overacts in Phantom Thread, it's almost the opposite, as his portrayal of Reynolds Woodcock is almost understated.
Magnolia Is Hard To Connect To
Magnolia is commonly referred to as "the Great San Fernando Valley movie," as it's a multi-stranded three-hour epic based in the area. It's no secret that the movie can get pretty melodramatic at times, but that's part of the appeal. However, gzhx thinks the drama is laid on way too thick, saying that the movie is full of "bad dialogue and cliched characters."
But while it's true that Anderson was writing lines of dialogue the night before shooting certain scenes, what makes the dialogue so great is that each characters' vocabulary is so specific to them. Frank Mackey talks like a pick-up artist, Jim speaks like a cop, and Jimmy Gator speaks like a typical game show host.
Boogie Nights Is Like A Bad Tarantino Movie
Centered around the adult entertainment industry in the late '70s and early '80s, the vibrant and colorful Boogie Nights sticks it out as one of the funniest and most entertaining of Anderson's filmography. But zaphighbeam doesn't think so, as they point out that it's like a bad Tarantino movie and the "characters are bad and not compelling at all."
Though they don't go into detail as to what makes it seem derivative of Tarantino's work, there are obvious influences in the '70s-based drama. For starters, the movie is multi-stranded, as it follows several different characters who are all connected in some way, just like in Pulp Fiction. It's also packed full of punchy dialogue and pop culture references, but many would say that Boogie Nights pulls it off better than Tarantino's movies.
All Of Anderson's Movies Are Tedious And Boring
Though Engineering91384 admits that when they saw Boogie Nights when they were 15 they "just fell in love," Paul Thomas Anderson has worn thin on the former fan. And though they were excited to see Adam Sandler in a dramatic role and have been excited for every following Anderson movie for one reason or another, the Reddit user calls all of his movies "tedious and boring."
Even though the director's movies aren't for everybody and there's an argument to be made that they can be a little too slow-paced, the blanket statement is harsh and unfair. Anderson's movies aren't narrative-driven but character studies, and that's what makes them interesting and unique from every other movie currently being released.
The Director's Best Work Is With Haim
The director doesn't just make huge, sprawling period dramas, but he has also been known to direct music videos for contemporary artists too, including Fiona Apple, Joanna Newsom, and most recently, the indie band, Haim.
Rrpower believes those collaborations with Haim are the director's best work, saying that they're the "looseness of his early work merged with the precision of his new work." And though many people don't currently agree with the Redditor, that statement could have more weight to it come November. Alana Haim is starring in Licorice Pizza, which is Anderson's latest movie.
Boogie Nights Is Better Than Goodfellas
A now-deleted user proclaims his love of Anderson's first epic by throwing out a big claim, which is that "Boogie Nights is Goodfellas but better." Though it may seem like a strange comparison at first, Boogie Nights completely emulated Goodfellas' style.
Just like the '90s Martin Scorsese-directed gangster movie, Boogie Nights has breakneck pacing and follows the rise and fall of somebody at the top of their game in a specific industry. However, when all is said and done, as great as Boogie Nights is, it doesn't hold a candle to what is often named the greatest gangster movie of all time that isn't The Godfather.
Phoenix Deserved The Best Actor Oscar For 'The Master' Over Day-Lewis For 'Lincoln'
Though Daniel Day-Lewis has worked with Anderson twice and even won an Academy Award for his role in There Will Be Blood, it was the non-Anderson-direct movie, Lincoln, that got him his third Oscar win in 2013. The great actor won Oscar number three for playing the 16th President of the United States, but Joaquin Phoenix was also nominated for his role as Freddie in The Master.
The movie follows Freddie as he becomes a follower of The Cause, a cult loosely inspired by Scientology, and a now-deleted user argues that "Joaquin deserved the Oscar over Daniel Day-Lewis." This hot take has the most weight to it because, at this point in his career, it was not as if Day-Lewis needed another Oscar. However, Phoenix finally and deservedly got his win for 2019's Joker.