Rating of
4/4
More than average entertainment.
memento_mori - wrote on 06/27/13
Daniel Day-Lewis. He drinks your milkshake. Then wins an Oscar.
Paul Thomas Anderson proves yet again that he is one of the most talented filmmakers working today in this miracle of a movie, where the script, acting, music, direction, cinematography and structure all outweigh each other. I have nothing but applause and praise.
Every scene is basically even better than the last. PTA knows how to pace and piece together a drama to convey the full story.
Daniel Day-Lewis is… someone else. Compare this Daniel Day-Lewis with the one from My Left Foot or Lincoln. I swear, whenever he is on screen: MAGIC. A well-deserved and earned Oscar.
The long, close shots of people's expressions and of landscapes baffle me every time. The angles seem so elegant and never in the wrong frame.
But the character development has got to be the best:
The whole story is about the will for more. Greed. Disgust. Wrath. Competition. The character of Daniel Plainview displays this so well in practically every moment. He insists he is a family man, but you can sense a brewing hatred within him, which always keeps leading back to the brilliant actor who puts his heart into one of the best performances EVER put to screen. Period.
There is no way to sum up this movie. From beginning to end, this absolute work of art makes me respect every single component and detail of the haunting script and characteristics the plot contains. Shocking, baffling, jaw-dropping, brilliant. PTA.
