Paul Thomas Anderson once picked the best movie of his career
The career of Paul Thomas Anderson is absolutely littered with movies of the highest quality. Even as far back as his debut feature Hard Eight, it was clear that the Los Angeles-born filmmaker had a career of the most remarkable order ahead of him and has since delivered some of the greatest works of cinema of the 21st century.
Only a fool would argue that his 2007 period drama There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, falls short of being a masterpiece, while the likes of Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread are also all worth their distinction. But when it comes to Anderson’s own favourite work, it’s hard for him to look beyond his 2012 psychological drama The Master.
“I think that won’t change,” the director admitted, per IndieWire. “The amount of emotion I put into it and they put into it — they being Phil [Seymour Hoffman], Joaquin [Phoenix] and Amy [Adams].” It’s fair to say that each of the actors that Anderson mentions went to extraordinary lengths to deliver some of the most impressive performances of their respective remarkable careers.
The Master tells of Phoenix’s Freddie Quell, a World War II Navy veteran in the throes of PTSD who struggles to adapt to civilian life back on home shores. Eventually, the violent lost cause comes across a cultish movement called The Cause (based on the Church of Scientology), led by the profoundly philosophical spiritual leader Lancaster Dodd, played by Hoffman.
He soon enters “processing” with The Cause, sees some of his trauma alleviated, and where he was once sceptical of Dodd’s protestations, he suddenly seems to believe his religious fervour and joins the movement himself. The Master is a remarkable film and saw three Academy Award nominations, including ‘Best Actor’ for Phoenix.
Interestingly, Anderson is unsure whether the effort that he and the film’s stars have actually made it “entirely successful”. But, still, that’s “fine” with the director because it’s the movie that has brought the most pride. “It feels right,” he said. “It feels unique to me.” It’s great to hear the acclaimed filmmaker speak of his work with such joy.
“I really hope it will be something people can revisit and enjoy in a way that equals my pride in it,” Anderson added, even though he’s keen to stress the dangers of pride. “I’m not being very quiet about my pride in saying all this,” he noted. “But I just feel really proud of it. And, of course, there’s a particular sentimentality attached to it for a number of personal reasons. It’s all wrapped up.”
Check out the trailer for The Master below.
