Paul Thomas Anderson is, unquestionably, one of the most talented and respected filmmakers working in Hollywood today. His films, which span several genres – from historical dramas (There Will Be Blood) to neo-noir comedy-dramas (Inherent Vice) – are cited by his contemporaries as masterpieces and personal favorites. Anderson is currently filming a yet-to-be-titled film starring Daniel Day Lewis. According to IMDb, the film is “[s]et in the fashion world of 1950s London, a dressmaker is commissioned to design for members of high society and the royal family.” You can find a comprehensive selection of PTA’s favorite films below. Feel free to click on the images for more information (via Amazon).
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON’S INFLUENCES & FAVORITE FILMS
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Mystic River
Mystic River was adapted from Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name – we previously examined Lehane’s favorite novels: Dennis Lehaneās Favorite Books
Grindhouse
*We previously examined the favorite films of director Quentin Tarantino: Quentin Tarantinoās Favorite Films
Moonlight
Anderson and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins recently appeared on a episode of the DGA podcast āThe Directorās Cut,ā where Anderson called Jenkins “the current master of cinematic close-ups…Iām very jealous of your close-ups…Thereās a long line of people who have really tried to do Jonathan Demme close-ups and I try all the time, but I have to say, you got it right better than anybodyā¦Iām like how is he doing that? Iāve tried so hard. I suppose it has to do with the right faces, but it has to do a little more than that.ā
A Quiet Place
During an interview with the LA Times published on December 10, 2018, Anderson stated the following about John Krasinski’s directorial debut:
āEverybody was completely quiet to the point where you could really hear the silence,” Anderson remembered. āItās so loud, the silence, and itās not something youāre used to in movies. Everybodyās talking about movies on TV, but thereās a reason why this was a big movie in theaters. And there was a joy going to see it with an audience. It would not have been the same without a lot of other people around you.ā
Sources: (Numerous interviews with Anderson, including IndieWire & LA Times)
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We strongly recommend checking out the following films by Anderson, as well as the newly released soundtrack for There Will Be Blood.
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