Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2.5/4
Daniel Day-Lewis deserved his Oscar.
CarrieMiller - wrote on 07/30/2008
There has been a lot of hype regarding this movie because of the Oscar winning performance of Daniel Day-Lewis, and frankly it is deserved. Based on the book, Oil! by Upton Sinclair, There Will Be Blood is dramatic movie telling the story of Daniel Plainview and his oil business. Daniel Day Lewis plays the title character to perfection showing both the astute businessman and ultimately the power-mad recluse.
The film has remnants of the Western genre thanks to director Paul Thomas Anderson with wide angle landscapes shots, scenes with little or no dialogue and great emphasis on the barron landscape where the film is set. It could have been possible to have shot the movie in black and white for as little color as there is in a lot of the movie.
The plot shows Daniel Plainview …
Rating of
4/4
Amazing
chiggles - wrote on 05/31/2008
Set in the early 20th century, the film follows the rise to power of Daniel Plainview -- a charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and psychological need to see any and all competitors fail. When he learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son H.W. to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate …
Rating of
3.5/4
One of the Greatest performances EVER!! PERIOD!
Tino - wrote on 05/22/2008
Daniel Day-Lewis is a true master of his art. He is an absolutely amazing actor, and showcases one of the best performances of all time here. It is a terrific film that brings all emotions to life, in the classic form (Made famous and popular by Scorsese) of one man who has it all, and loses it to his own greed and corruption of the soul. It is a performance that will stay with you for weeks, and months, everyday, and even haunt your dreams at night. The film has its flaws, such as a sometimes over-zealous score, and too little plot, or even possibly too much length. But none of that matters here. There Will Be Blood and Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview now go hand-in-hand, as he is the film, and the reason that all fans of film, must see it, for it's power, it's audacity, it's …
Rating of
N/A
There Will Be Blood
robinsonwhitmer - wrote on 04/25/2008
This is Day-Lewis’ most raucous and comedic performance I have seen and I am not surprised at his winning of the best actor Oscar. He a self described “Oil Man” and he runs around making money off oil– a seemingly appropriate subject considering the current state of affairs in the world. Everyone vies for the most money they can get, and oil is a goldmine. In the movie it was a goldmine for Americans, and we are shown how one greedy and cold man capitalized on the oil rush in the industrial revolution. No doubt Sinclair wrote this story as a satire, and it was filmed in much the same way – a greedy man running around with no respect for others. Plainview the Oil Man.is clumsy, ignorant, manipulative and isolated; with no wife, or fiends to keep him honest, he takes his son …
Rating of
3.5/4
Greed is Good for Blood
Chris Kavan - wrote on 04/15/2008
With powerful characters and story, amazing cinematography and the perfect soundtrack, There Will Be Blood succeeds in making an epic picture out of a simple story of greed.
Daniel Day-Lewis, channeling the spirit of John Huston, brings a sophisticated evil to his oil baron Plainview. He charms locals out of their land, always looking at the bottom line. He seems to care for those around him: his son, his workers, a long-lost brother, but in the blink of an eye he'll turn on anyone if it fits his mood. He even states at one time that he pretty much hates everyone - that he sees nothing worth liking. By the end of the film, his attitude only gets more bitter, to the point of insanity.
On the other hand you have Paul Dano as the local fire-and-brimstone preacher. A soft-spoken …
Rating of
3.5/4
"I'm finished."
Arbogast1960 - wrote on 03/28/2008
It's hard to know what to do with this movie. On the one hand, it is visually extraordinary. The avant garde score is superb, adding to the tense, punishing atmosphere. Daniel Day-Lewis is wonderful, demonstrating how to properly chew the scenery without overacting (though some might find his impeccable channeling of John Huston to be a bit distracting). And the story is exquisitely dark, a moral showdown between business and religion in which no one wins and the parties are defined less by their differences than their different means of achieving the same avaricious goals. On the other hand, there is Paul Dano, who gives a performance which is not entirely satisfying (that is not to say he's bad, just that he's slightly more simpering than need be). I also get the nagging feeling …
Rating of
1.5/4
Eternity of nothingness
BryanFury - wrote on 03/26/2008
The portrayal of a man consumed by this deadly sin called greed is not my usual cup of tea. And after watching There Will Be Blood I realized that there won't be second time. I've had enough of this two and a half hour bore fest. To me the main character is not even as strong as the critics say he was. What Day-Lewis just did was change his voice to something like a Sean Connery impersonation that's it, not too much to jump around up and down if you'd ask me. His portrayal of greed consumed oil man is good but not great. There's a fine line between average and greatness, and what I've seen so far is definitely not greatness. Paul Dano on the other hand surprised me with his depiction of a phony prophet. He should’ve won something because he took that role to another level. Another …
Rating of
4/4
A Film for Thinkers
Franz Patrick - wrote on 03/25/2008
Daniel Day-Lewis definitely deserve the Best Actor Oscar. He was funny, scary, sad--but above all, twisted. Because of him, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. His portrayal of a man consumed by competition and success was very believable. One minute he's someone one can relate to, the next minute, he's a complete psychopath. Paul Dano wasn't bad either. He provided a much-needed comic relief and much more. (The comments about organized religion was a breath of fresh air.) What I love about this film is its relentless soundtrack: it's always there even though nothing much is happening on screen. It's as if it became a character itself. I also love the fact that it's so different from the other films out there. The tones are never complimentary yet all of it still manages to fit …
Rating of
2/4
...You Will Be Bored
John Doe - wrote on 03/18/2008
I can't help but think this movie had just enough political undertone and drama to make sure Daniel Day-Lewis finally got an Oscar nod for his body of work. Nothing more... This story was rediculously boring. The whole thing hinges on the fact that you care about the people Daniel is alienating... They were just as quirky and consumed with themselves as Mr Fletcher himself though. I've never cared so little about central characters in a movie getting capped.
I've also seen way too many movies about someone being so involved with their own wealth that they spiral into insanity and alienate the ones you'd expect them to love unconditionally. It's a cliche plot now. Am I supposed to care more about this one because the number of CNN reports on oil prices rivals where Britney …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Greed of Oil is Obvious
Alex - wrote on 01/27/2008
Daniel Day-Lewis amazes me every time he is on screen. Again, he prevails as the best actor over the last year (though his "Gangs" performance is better). He can transform himself into anyone and maintain character throughout. My favorite scene in which he steals the show, is the bowling alley scene (though it's not the best scene in the movie).
The entire movie is filled with landscapes and filled with great performances by both his kid and the young man who makes him rich. Though maybe non of this film is truthful of real life, it felt like it was. PTA has created a real man and a real experience.
It did move a little slow (though I never complained) and for the first time ever I actually checked my watch hoping that there were still 2 plus hours left of the movie. I …
