This is the sixth Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA) film I’ve seen, so I feel confident in saying that I’m unable to appreciate his style. As I was watching this, I was thinking about what elements in this remind me that it’s PTA. I don’t remember Magnolia (1999) too well, but I was getting a similar vibe when all the characters’ storylines were being wrapped up. I’ve heard a lot of praise for PTA, but I honestly don’t understand what it is that’s being praised. My ratings of his films range from 5/10 for Punch-Drunk Love (2002) to 10/10 for There Will Be Blood (2007). Individually, PTA has some great films. But usually when I hear so much praise for a director, it’s something in particular about their style, like Christopher Nolan’s use of practical effects or Park Chan-wook’s camera work. With PTA, I can appreciate that he makes good movies, but I just don’t see a particular style that binds them together.
I enjoyed Boogie Nights, but I think there’s something about LA movies that don’t resonate with me. It reminded me of how I felt watching Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019). I was following along, but the whole show business and LA aesthetic doesn’t appeal to me. The standouts for me were the set design, music, and Burt Reynolds’ performance. These make the film a pleasant experience, but I feel like the runtime was a little long. I gather that the side characters’ plots were supposed to show the different types of people in this profession and how it affects them, but to me it felt like filler. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I definitely feel like this movie is a little overrated.