REVIEW:
An absolute masterpiece, this Paul Thomas Anderson-best is also one of the best ensemble movies of all time. First off, there’s the story about an industry that most of us know very little about, and how this movie takes an inside look behind the curtain of how it operated. Next up there are the characters, one after the next played by up and coming stars (from John C Reilley to Don Cheadle to Phillip Seymour Hoffman,) who have since all broken out and become Hollywood sensations. It would be one thing to say that this was before they were good, when they were just getting started, but the truth is that everyone of them is fantastic here, really nailing their part.
Then there’s the humor, which goes hand in hand with the rich and often brilliant dialogue. This movie is irresistibly funny, in large part because of how ridiculous and unaware the characters are. And finally, there’s the atmosphere. The movie wisely sets itself in the seventies and eighties, a time that was filled with disco, partying, drugs, outrageous outfits, and wild hangouts. This movie capitalizes on all of that. The tone is dark and devious, which makes the humor all the better, because it is unexpected. What a perfect movie.