Like Tarantino with Pulp Fiction, Paul Thomas Anderson’s career took off like a rocket with his 2nd Feature, and while he’s made a number of films since then fans will call his best, I still think that 2nd feature is the Masterpiece whose mark on cinematic history will probably never be topped. The plotting has the exciting rise and spectacular flameout that reminds me of Goodfellas, but the style here also invokes Robert Altman and Hal Ashby. This is a daunting comparison for any filmmaker, and Anderson was 26 when he made the film. The end result would be a career highpoint for any of these titans.
Like Taxi Driver, any day on set would be like going to Film School. The drug deal with Alfred Molina and the kid with the firecrackers would be tempting, but the film has a few legendary long takes. There’s the opening stedicam shot, the dance scene at the disco, and the party where the camera goes into the pool. I’m most fascinated by Little Bill’s decision that separates the two halves of the film. I’m always interested in actors that have to say a lot without dialogue and with no edits, and William H. Macy’s walk and posture sum up everything that’s happened and everything that’s to come. The camera is merely an observer to the biggest shift of the story.
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