http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/suderman/2045 The blog of Commentary Magazine. Sat, 17 May 2008 02:10:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/suderman/2045#comment-88736 mark Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:33:57 +0000 http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/suderman/2045#comment-88736 I think you make a good argument with the "bottle up and explode" justification for the ending, but I disagree with you on the overall power of the film. It's so entirely ugly that when the minor slapstick of the ending comes, it IS a bit of a relief, but also makes clear - to me - that P.T. Anderson is not a director that chooses to be purposefully eccentric, but just a guy with good eye and a sloppy grasp of formalism. I think you make a good argument with the “bottle up and explode” justification for the ending, but I disagree with you on the overall power of the film. It’s so entirely ugly that when the minor slapstick of the ending comes, it IS a bit of a relief, but also makes clear - to me - that P.T. Anderson is not a director that chooses to be purposefully eccentric, but just a guy with good eye and a sloppy grasp of formalism.

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