Welcome to a new feature here at Marshall and the Movies that I am calling “Auteur Hour!” I have hinted at this since 2012 (yikes) and can think of no better way to kick off this series than with a look at the filmography of writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson.
For those who do not know, auteur is a French term meaning “author” that academic writers often apply to directors of films. The term and all that comes along with it provides constant debate within the cinematic community. Some think it provides a great way to honor filmmakers who use consistent patterns or motifs throughout their work, while others argue that the term serves as a catchall to redeem anyone who can carry something over from picture to picture.
Paul Thomas Anderson certainly qualifies as an auteur like few others in America with his fluency in the language and history of cinema as well as his virtuosic output. I had the chance to grab a quick photo with him before the world premiere of “Inherent Vice” – as you can see, both of us were pretty awkward. I stood speechless in the face of the man responsible for some absolute gems in the crown of cinema. If you want to stand in awe as well, check out some of these videos…
And now, to the point of the post, here is how I would rank the films of Paul Thomas Anderson. So without further ado…
I watched “Magnolia” last night. At a whopping 3 hours and 8 minutes, it’s definitely one of the longest movies I’ve seen in quite some time. Most of it was worth my time, although the last hour bored me (up until it started raining frogs, that is). And I bought 
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