Ranked: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Music Videos

sSo now Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” has premiered at the New York Film Festival, and has thus been seen by human eyes (ours included—here’s our review), bringing months of fevered anticipation and conjecture to a close. That is, for the few hundred people lucky enough to be able to snag a seat in one of the screenings. Most cinephiles, including most Playlisters, will have to endure the insufferable smugness of those who have seen the film for another two months before its limited opening (if we’re lucky enough to catch it then: it finally goes wide on January 9, 2015).

We’ll obviously be talking a lot more about PTA and “Inherent Vice” around the December release date, but for the interim we’ve taken a look at a lesser-known aspect of Anderson’s career —his music videos. Unlike David Fincher, whose 55 videos we ranked last week, Anderson is not hugely prolific in this regard, and the few promos he has done are either offshoots of his film work —like working with collaborators Aimee Mann, Jon Brion or Michael Penn— or videos for Fiona Apple, with whom Anderson was previously in a relationship. Still, there’s some great stuff in these eight titles, especially for any Anderson fan, as in them you can see him work through ideas that have since become stylistic hallmarks. And who knows? Maybe he’s got another video in him for “Inherent Vice” (full soundtrack here), since the film features new Radiohead and Jonny Greenwood tunes.

Here, then, ranked in reverse order, worst to best, are Paul Thomas Anderson’s eight music videos.

8. “Limp,” Fiona Apple (2000)
From the middle period of Anderson’s 5-promo-strong collaboration with Apple, this spot finds him on unusually disjointed form, not helped by the fact that the melody and narrative of the song are maybe not be quite up there with the best of the singer/songwriter’s work. Still, some trademark experimentation is evident, especially with editing.
Notable moment: At about 2:29 the images start to be cut to a very fast rhythm, mirroring the track. But it’s more a show of technical virtuosity than a really satisfying experience.

7. “Here We Go,” Jon Brion (2002)
Not a bad video. Just one that used existing (if unseen) footage from Anderson’s “Punch Drunk Love” —offcuts and alternate takes that didn’t get used in the final film. And so we get two main sequences, of Adam Sandler in his office, and then one finding him going to meet Emily Watson in her apartment. The second half is especially nice, a little odyssey featuring some very Andersonian corridors and push/pull camerawork, cross cut with Watson in her apartment waiting.
Notable moment: At 1:03 when Sandler, sobbing at his desk, reaches into his drawer sight unseen for a Kleenex. One of those funny/sad moments that the film’s growing fanbase will dig.