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Paul Thomas Anderson: Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson
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Paul Thomas Anderson has had an inspired career as a filmmaker so far. Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punchdrunk Love have made Anderson a critical darling. He adds to his brilliant portfolio with his best film yet, There Will Be Blood. Loosely based on Upton Sinclair's 20's novel "Oil", Anderson's adaptation follows the exploits of ruthless oil baron Daniel Plainview. Played brilliantly by Daniel Day-Lewis, Plainview is one of cinemas most misanthropic characters. A parable of greed and treachery, There Will Be Blood is mesmerising.
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Paul Thomas Anderson, the 27-year-old writer and director of Boogie Nights, which charts Dirk's meteoric rise and fall, has one special thing, too--an enormous talent for making movies. Gloriously alive from its virtuoso opening shot that swerves through a Reseda, Calif., nightclub to its revealing conclusion--in which Dirk's special thing is unveiled in all its absurd, slumbering glory--""Boogie Nights'' is one of those breakthrough movies that leaves no doubt you are in the presence of a natural-born filmmaker. Like Spielberg's ""Sugarland Express'' or Scorsese's ""Mean Streets,'' Anderson's mesmerizing movie announces the arrival of a major career.
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With his 1997 film Boogie Nights, then-27-year-old director Paul Thomas Anderson took his place on the list of Hollywood wunderkinds. A brash, ensemble-driven epic made as a tribute to the Los Angeles porn industry of the 1970s, the film was both an exploration of the industry and the '70s version of the American dream. Combining sharp humor, indelible poignancy, and painstaking detail, Boogie Nights was hailed by one critic as the first great film about the '70s to come out since the '70s. The wide acclaim surrounding it -- as well as Anderson's Best Screenplay Oscar nomination -- put Anderson at the forefront of young American filmmakers, establishing him as one of the most exciting talents to come along in years. The son of voice actor Ernie Anderson, he was born in Studio City, California, on January 1, 1970. Growing up in the Valley, where the porn industry thrived during the '70s, Anderson became obsessed with porn movies at a young age.
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From the debut of his short film "Coffee and Cigarettes" at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, Paul Thomas Anderson firmly established himself as an auteur to watch. An ambitious film that focused on five characters interacting in a Las Vegas diner, "Coffee and Cigarettes" set the mold for his later films: multiple storylines, dazzling camerawork and a detailed emphasis on dialogue and character. Anderson was a brash and gutsy filmmaker who enjoyed tackling big themes – love, hope, family and redemption, all often combined in biblical fashion – while paradoxically allowing them to unfold intimately onscreen. Though his first feature-length movie, “Hard Eight†(1997), failed to connect with audiences and critics, Anderson planted himself on the Hollywood map for good with “Boogie Nights†(1997), a surprisingly affectionate – albeit dark – look at the porn industry, as seen through the eyes of an eager and ambitious rising star. He followed this breakthrough success with the polarizing ensemble drama, “Magnolia†(1999), and the wistful romantic drama, “Punch Drunk Love†(2002), both of which underscored the fact that Anderson was at the top of his game. But with multi-Oscar nominated epic, “There Will Be Blood†(2007), Anderson took a giant leap forward that planted him firmly in the company of Hollywood’s most elite filmmakers.
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Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson is known for complex, critic-pleasing dramas, including 1999's Magnolia and 2008's There Will Be Blood. A child of the cinema, Anderson went about making movies right out of school, and by the time he was 25 he was directing his first feature, Hard Eight (1996... known as Sydney). His provocative 1997 movie, Boogie Nights, made a splash, and Anderson's Oscar-nominated script got just as much attention as Mark Wahlberg's performance as a porn star. Anderson's next film, Magnolia (1999), earned him even more praise for his mature dramatic sensibilities, and brought him a second Oscar nomination for screenwriting. He then made Punch-Drunk Love (2002), a dramatic feature with comedian Adam Sandler, and oversaw parts of the Robert Altman film A Prairie Home Companion (2006), before embarking on the American epic There Will Be Blood (starring Daniel Day-Lewis), the 2008 movie that earned eight Oscar nominations, including two for Anderson, for best director and best adapted screenplay.
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From All Movie Guide: With his 1997 film Boogie Nights, then-27-year-old director Paul Thomas Anderson took his place on the list of Hollywood wunderkinds. A brash, ensemble-driven epic made as a tribute to the Los Angeles porn industry of the 1970s, the film was both an exploration of the industry and the '70s version of the American dream. Combining sharp humor, indelible poignancy, and painstaking detail, Boogie Nights was hailed by one critic as the first great film about the '70s to come out since the '70s. The wide acclaim surrounding it -- as well as Anderson's Best Screenplay Oscar nomination -- put Anderson at the forefront of young American filmmakers, establishing him as one of the most exciting talents to come along in years.
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Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson