When my dear friend (and old student) Guille invited me to join Film Club, I would never have guessed we would have made it to five years, and now, here we are! Happy 5th birthday, Film Club!
Film Club works by having the four members rotate in choosing a theme for the month. We then select four films within that genre/theme/director/actor, etc., and, after viewing the films, we meet to discuss them.
We recently spent a month exploring the work of Paul Thomas Anderson, watching Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and the recent One Battle After Another. Although every month is special and enriching, this month was mind-blowing!
Boogie Nights (1997), in my opinion, was the weakest one of the lot, maybe because it is the oldest. Still, an amazing cast that works beautifully together —Burt Reynolds, are you kidding me? Here you see the seeds of what will become PTA’s signature moves.
I remember seeing Magnolia (1999) alone in a long-ago-lost movie theatre in Madrid (Cine Bogart) and being amazed at the cris-crossing narrative, Tom Cruise’s performance, Julianne Moore (who also nailed it (metaphorically, and literally, if you know what I mean) in Boogie Nights), and Philip Seymour Hoffman, among others.
There Will Be Blood (2007), I also saw when it came out, and I remember being amazed at Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance, but then again, who wouldn’t be? This is a masterpiece of cinema. With Daniel Day-Lewis, you do not need the clutter of layering narratives; he takes care of the film, based on a Upton Sinclair novel.
Finally, the very recent —I only missed it in theaters by a few days— One Battle After Another, with a flawless performance by Leo DiCaprio, although (sorry, spoiler alert) Sean Penn unexpectedly ends up stealing the film. This film beautifully encapsulates PTA’s evolution, masterfully blending drama with subtle comedic hits. The film shows a more mature, minimalist approach, ditching the multiple story lines to focus on the protagonist and antagonist (you figure out which one is which!)
There is a driving thread in all those films; they all deal with family, particularly messed-up families (Which I would dare say is most of them!): surrogate families, broken families, children adopted for profit (literally), etc. Paul Thomas Anderson, if you are reading this, I have a therapist who is probably cheaper than making all those films….
Here is to another five years of Film Club!
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