how would you rank his films so far?

Started by Robyn, October 23, 2017, 09:37:05 PM

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Find Your Magali

Is it fair to say Magnolia has become the most divisive film in PTA's ouevre, among PTA's fan? There doesn't seem to be much middle ground on it in assessments?

wilberfan

Magnolia or Vice, I would say.  Or is there more middle ground on Vice?  I like Magnolia more and more with every re-watch.  It's generally solidly my #2. 

Robyn

I'd say there's a very vocal minority who loves Vice the most  :yabbse-grin:

Interesting enough, people who rank Magnolia high seems to have Vice low and vice versa. Make sense tho since Magnolia is his most PTA-feeling movie and Vice the least.

wilberfan

Quote from: Robyn on May 31, 2021, 07:55:26 AM
Magnolia is his most PTA-feeling movie and Vice the least.

You've inadvertently articulated the reason Magnolia is always near the top and Vice always at the bottom for me:  complete emotional investment by me in the characters of the former, and a complete lack of same for the latter.

jenkins

I don't agree with that assertion at all


wilberfan

Oh, IV had it moments for me.  But my counter-response would be to post ALL of Magnolia...or Boogie Nights..or Punch-Drunk Love...

jenkins

hyperbole is fine but the foundation of IV is romance and its overall narrative structure is a certain accomplishment whether it was successful or not. IV every bit feels like a PTA movie to me

pynchonikon

I could be wrong but I have the feeling that generally the old fans of his (since late '90s/early '00s) have warmer response to his early works (especially BN-Magn-PDL) than the newer fans who seem to prefer the post-TWBB era. Could it be just emotionalism? I dunno.

I have a particular friend who is a die-hard PTA fan for at least twenty years, he digs all of his movies, but every time I bring this discussion he claims that Magnolia will always be his favorite ("Of course he's evolved as an artist since those days and I respect that, he's still great, but my emotional bonding with Magnolia is unparalleled.")

HoQTeMR4

Well for me, Magnolia is number 1 and Inherent Vice is number 2. :)

wilberfan

Quote from: pynchonikon on May 31, 2021, 01:08:16 PM
I could be wrong but I have the feeling that generally the old fans of his (since late '90s/early '00s) have warmer response to his early works (especially BN-Magn-PDL) than the newer fans who seem to prefer the post-TWBB era.

my emotional bonding with Magnolia is unparalleled.")

All true in my case.  The "Feels Trilogy" (BN,Mag,PDL) have always elicited the strongest emotional response from me.  Post PDL is more profound respect and appreciation.

Alethia

Quote from: pynchonikon on May 31, 2021, 01:08:16 PM
I could be wrong but I have the feeling that generally the old fans of his (since late '90s/early '00s) have warmer response to his early works (especially BN-Magn-PDL) than the newer fans who seem to prefer the post-TWBB era. Could it be just emotionalism? I dunno.

I have a particular friend who is a die-hard PTA fan for at least twenty years, he digs all of his movies, but every time I bring this discussion he claims that Magnolia will always be his favorite ("Of course he's been evolved as an artist since those days and I respect that, he's still great, but my emotional bonding with Magnolia is unparalleled.")

I will always love Magnolia and never forget the seismic impact it had on me when I was younger, but I can look back now and easily see it as the most objectively flawed of any of his films, not that that necessarily diminishes its power. I'm most inclined to rank Master at #1 these days, even if Vice is probably my real favorite.

Lewton

Quote from: pynchonikon on May 31, 2021, 01:08:16 PM
I could be wrong but I have the feeling that generally the old fans of his (since late '90s/early '00s) have warmer response to his early works (especially BN-Magn-PDL) than the newer fans who seem to prefer the post-TWBB era.

This is more or less accurate for me. My first viewing of a PTA movie was a rented DVD of PDL. Besides Sandler's involvement, I knew next to nothing about it prior to watching. I think this viewing occurred around the time it was first released on home video (anyone here own PDL on VHS, btw?). Hadn't seen anything like it, the style and tone was just fascinating, etc. Years later I saw the very first teaser trailer for TWBB, the one with the DDL voice over and the "Power in the Blood" hymn. The combination of those two things--seeing PDL and being intrigued by the TWBB teaser--solidified my interest in his filmmaking (not to mention finally seeing TWBB itself).

EDIT: Actually, after rereading your post I see that what I just wrote doesn't precisely match up with your idea. Anyway, my basic point is that I prefer PDL and the movies that followed it.

pynchonikon

Concerning Inherent Vice, I can understand wilberfan's arguments about emotional investment (or other frequent objections in general) a bit, and I think that is due to Pynchon's writing style and PTA deciding to let heavy pynchonesque doses into the movie, attempting at the same time to add his own sensibilities (mainly the dramatic/melancholic elements which are more distinct in the film than in the book, at least for me) but with the biggest possible respect for the source material. The quirky story/characters weren't simply a basic concept to work with and expand (like TWBB), that's maybe why the final product seemed –or still seems- so peculiar for his standards at that point, even if imo it's a successful adaptation. I love it for what it is (in fact it's that film of his I've seen the most times).

[Not really relevant with this specific thread, I just wanted to express some thoughts]

jenkins

when I shed Pynchon from my perspective and look at the movie written/directed by PTA what I see is a clear intention to create a narrative that lacks a center and possesses a stray theme. it's a fully city-like narrative and its size always impresses me. I think within that there are certain traction problems and they were dealt with as best as they were

Shughes

I've been a fan since early-ish - saw Boogie Nights first when released on VHS. I think Magnolia was the first PTA I saw in the cinema. For a LONG time Magnolia was my favourite film. I watched a 35mm print of it around 18 months ago trying to convince a friend of its greatness. He had seen it before, liked it fine, but thought it too long. It didn't hold up as well as I thought. It was still great to watch on the big screen, but its problems were magnified (in contrast to Boogie Nights, which gets better every time). My friend ended up liking it a little more after that screening, and I liked it a little less.

The Master is my number 1, very closely followed by TWBB.

I like IV a lot and enjoy it more with each viewing. It was slightly disappointing on first viewing, but I think that's because I wanted to see the film that the trailer was selling. With expectations adjusted IV falls somewhere in the middle for me. With the obvious caveat that PTA hasn't made a bad film.