JasonEvans
12-14-2007, 05:46 PM
Whew... this is quite a movie. It will not be a commercial hit nor is it a particularly enjoyable film to watch, but if you appreciate remarkable acting, cinematography, and direction you cannot pass this flick. Film school students and folks who appreciate movies as an art will relish watching it.
The movie is long, over 2 1/2 hours, and follows the life of a character named Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. As I am sure many of you have heard, DDL is a MORTAL LOCK to get an Oscar nomination for his acting in this film. I won't be at all surprised if he wins it all. He plays Daniel Plainview as a man obsessed by the oil business. Nothing in his life matters except for his "success while watching others fail." He is willing to sacrifice anything, even his family, to achieve this goal. He even lets his obsession overwhelm his relationship with his son-- a relationship that he cherishes and yet is willing to sacrifice. It is impossible to like Daniel Plainfield but also impossible not to be gripped by his story.
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183553/photo_06.jpg
In many ways, this movie is not all that different from Citizen Kane or The Aviator in that it follows the life of a successful businessman who is clearly a flawed character and is difficult to sympathize with or like. Plainview is utterly unrepentant. As soon as a person he cares for disappoints him in any way, he cuts them out of his life, often with a brutal outburst of venom and anger. He is crazy, a sociopath, but one who is driven in business and achieves success as a result.
The movie touches on religious themes as well. In many ways the rival to Plainview is a young evangelist named Eli Sunday (played by Paul Dano, who may also get award nominations) who runs the church in the town that Plainview takes over to build his oil empire. Eli is also prone to obsession, though his is with The Lord. Eli wants to insert God into Daniel Plainview's life and work but Daniel treats him with the utmost contempt. Their clashes are stunning and arresting to watch.
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183553/photo_13.jpg
Because it follows much of Plainview's life, the movie jumps around a bit and does not have a central plot in the traditional sense. What's more, the dialog is designed to be stilted and formal, like the way they talked in the early 1900s. As a result the conversations are sometimes awkward to the ear though they ring true to the time period (I think). The anger and emotion that is conveyed in this formalized language is gripping and impressive.
I usually would not bother talking about the score in a film, but the background music plays such a huge role in this film. For example, there is zero dialog in the first 20 minutes of the movie as we see a young Plainfield digging for gold but finding shale/oil instead, and it is music that carries us through that part of the film. Director/Screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson uses an almost overwhelming musical score to set the tone for the film. It is extremely powerful. The cinematography and set design are also magnificent. The oil wells are impressive and utterly real.
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183553/photo_03.jpg
From a technical standpoint, this is an amazing film-- but it strains to be enjoyable. The ending is somewhat abrupt and not all that satisfying, though I could see why the film ended the way it did. At times, it is a frustrating film as you want to grab Plainfield and shake him into understanding how heartless and foolish he is. The film accomplishes something remarkable in having us care about and want to find out everything about this wretched man. In the end, when a fabulously wealthy Plainfield is left alone and almost senile, we actually feel sorry for him... a great testament to the power of the acting and directing.
I could go on an on about this one. Its sorta funny because aside from die-hard film buffs I am not sure who I would recommend the film to. I was surprised that my wife said she enjoyed it (except for the final 20 minutes) as it did not feel like her kind of film. Perhaps it is more enjoyable than I thought.
I am eager for more of you to see it and to discuss it. It is unquestionably one of the best made films of the year.
--Jason "Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem are the villains of the year" Evans
The movie is long, over 2 1/2 hours, and follows the life of a character named Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. As I am sure many of you have heard, DDL is a MORTAL LOCK to get an Oscar nomination for his acting in this film. I won't be at all surprised if he wins it all. He plays Daniel Plainview as a man obsessed by the oil business. Nothing in his life matters except for his "success while watching others fail." He is willing to sacrifice anything, even his family, to achieve this goal. He even lets his obsession overwhelm his relationship with his son-- a relationship that he cherishes and yet is willing to sacrifice. It is impossible to like Daniel Plainfield but also impossible not to be gripped by his story.
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183553/photo_06.jpg
In many ways, this movie is not all that different from Citizen Kane or The Aviator in that it follows the life of a successful businessman who is clearly a flawed character and is difficult to sympathize with or like. Plainview is utterly unrepentant. As soon as a person he cares for disappoints him in any way, he cuts them out of his life, often with a brutal outburst of venom and anger. He is crazy, a sociopath, but one who is driven in business and achieves success as a result.
The movie touches on religious themes as well. In many ways the rival to Plainview is a young evangelist named Eli Sunday (played by Paul Dano, who may also get award nominations) who runs the church in the town that Plainview takes over to build his oil empire. Eli is also prone to obsession, though his is with The Lord. Eli wants to insert God into Daniel Plainview's life and work but Daniel treats him with the utmost contempt. Their clashes are stunning and arresting to watch.
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183553/photo_13.jpg
Because it follows much of Plainview's life, the movie jumps around a bit and does not have a central plot in the traditional sense. What's more, the dialog is designed to be stilted and formal, like the way they talked in the early 1900s. As a result the conversations are sometimes awkward to the ear though they ring true to the time period (I think). The anger and emotion that is conveyed in this formalized language is gripping and impressive.
I usually would not bother talking about the score in a film, but the background music plays such a huge role in this film. For example, there is zero dialog in the first 20 minutes of the movie as we see a young Plainfield digging for gold but finding shale/oil instead, and it is music that carries us through that part of the film. Director/Screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson uses an almost overwhelming musical score to set the tone for the film. It is extremely powerful. The cinematography and set design are also magnificent. The oil wells are impressive and utterly real.
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183553/photo_03.jpg
From a technical standpoint, this is an amazing film-- but it strains to be enjoyable. The ending is somewhat abrupt and not all that satisfying, though I could see why the film ended the way it did. At times, it is a frustrating film as you want to grab Plainfield and shake him into understanding how heartless and foolish he is. The film accomplishes something remarkable in having us care about and want to find out everything about this wretched man. In the end, when a fabulously wealthy Plainfield is left alone and almost senile, we actually feel sorry for him... a great testament to the power of the acting and directing.
I could go on an on about this one. Its sorta funny because aside from die-hard film buffs I am not sure who I would recommend the film to. I was surprised that my wife said she enjoyed it (except for the final 20 minutes) as it did not feel like her kind of film. Perhaps it is more enjoyable than I thought.
I am eager for more of you to see it and to discuss it. It is unquestionably one of the best made films of the year.
--Jason "Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem are the villains of the year" Evans