I must admit, it took me awhile to sort this out since when I saw the movie, the projector broke down during the climax of the film, and then again after only a couple of seconds of film(all told, the last 15 minutes or so of movie took about 45 minutes to show). Nevertheless, I think I can say that this is an excellent film and that writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson proves he's ready for the big time.
I can understand why some people don't like this film, aside from the ones who complain about its overlength(to them, I quote the late Gene Siskel, who said good movies are never too long, while bad movies always are). This is a film about characters who, for the most part, wear their hearts on their sleeve, or play for big emotions, and if done badly, that can slide into soap opera. But Anderson doesn't go for safe choices here, and his audaciousness, and skill, make those emotions ring true. The theme of how TV has corrupted the lives of most of the characters could be too symbolic, but that's handled well, particularly in the shots of Claudia(Melora Walters) crying while watching the game show her father(Philip Baker Hall) hosts.
Of course, the cast deserves a lot of mention. Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and Melora Walters have gotten a lot of praise for their performances, and justifiably so. But Philip Baker Hall, who did such a terrific job in Anderson's first film, HARD EIGHT, also deserves praise as Jimmy Gator, the game show host. He has some big dramatic moments, having to play someone who gets sick on air, and handles them without going over the top. And his scenes with his wife(Melinda Dillon, also excellent) are heartbreaking. And Jeremy Blackman is not only convincing as the boy genius, but also at showing the unhappiness underneath(SPOILER ALERT: when the major characters sing along to Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" near the end, he and Walters seem to connect most to it. END SPOILER ALERT). Anderson is showing himself to be a major director, and while HARD EIGHT and BOOGIE NIGHTS showed potential, this film shows him realizing it.
I can understand why some people don't like this film, aside from the ones who complain about its overlength(to them, I quote the late Gene Siskel, who said good movies are never too long, while bad movies always are). This is a film about characters who, for the most part, wear their hearts on their sleeve, or play for big emotions, and if done badly, that can slide into soap opera. But Anderson doesn't go for safe choices here, and his audaciousness, and skill, make those emotions ring true. The theme of how TV has corrupted the lives of most of the characters could be too symbolic, but that's handled well, particularly in the shots of Claudia(Melora Walters) crying while watching the game show her father(Philip Baker Hall) hosts.
Of course, the cast deserves a lot of mention. Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and Melora Walters have gotten a lot of praise for their performances, and justifiably so. But Philip Baker Hall, who did such a terrific job in Anderson's first film, HARD EIGHT, also deserves praise as Jimmy Gator, the game show host. He has some big dramatic moments, having to play someone who gets sick on air, and handles them without going over the top. And his scenes with his wife(Melinda Dillon, also excellent) are heartbreaking. And Jeremy Blackman is not only convincing as the boy genius, but also at showing the unhappiness underneath(SPOILER ALERT: when the major characters sing along to Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" near the end, he and Walters seem to connect most to it. END SPOILER ALERT). Anderson is showing himself to be a major director, and while HARD EIGHT and BOOGIE NIGHTS showed potential, this film shows him realizing it.