Ryan Perry's TVP Blog

 

 

Magnolia – Paul Thomas Anderson: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia is his third film and it is truly where his trademark style fully comes into play. It tells seven interconnecting stories about family, love, loneliness and lies which all tie into an unpredictable and biblical finale. The film is large in its scope and could be almost described as an “Epic”. It tells all of these stories over a three-hour run time allowing us to grow to know the characters as is customary with Anderson’s films and with so many characters, it makes sense for this length. Anderson’s trademark visuals usually consist of fast paced dolly shots, ethereal crane shots and even static long takes allowing his actors to just perform and sell the scene they are performing. Anderson’s storytelling has changed dramatically since this film and some of his other early projects, his projects now tend to be high concept period pieces rather than his previous intelligent and ambitious Comedy Dramas. Anderson’s appro