You know, when Paul Thomas Anderson's newest movie was released I couldn't wait to see it. I had downloaded the trailer and played it over and over. There Will Be Blood promised to be what is more and more rare for me: a film experience that transcends the normal movie-going fare. A movie that stays with you for days after you walk back out into the light.
This film proved to be just that. I have been thinking about the movie for almost two weeks now and I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
Of course, Daniel Day Lewis was amazing, but that was almost a given. The movie is incredible in scope, daring, new, and all kinds of other great words that don't come immediately to mind. It is above all "real." As a matter of fact it feels more real than most documentaries. But I'm still not sure I love it.
Everyone else does. Just check out the end of the Wikipedia article for the list of all of the awards and nominations it has received. But that still doesn't help me know how to feel about it.
Maybe I'm not smart enough to get it. The critics aside, I know that this movie is great; I just don't know if I liked it. Am I making sense?
Since I can't seem to coalesce my thoughts on There Will Be Blood let's talk about another P. T. Anderson movie; Magnolia.
Magnolia, for me, was that transcendent gem. Sometimes people ask me what my favorite movie of all time is and I always reply that I don't have one. But I know that this movie is in my top ten. (It's also on my list of films that always make me cry.)
It stars Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Julianne Moore just to name a few.It's a massive story of eight lives interwoven, and, unlike other movies which have tried, this one succeeds at keeping it all together. There are some not-so-nice characters in the mix, but no matter what they have done, they are all united in their pursuit of forgiveness.
Now, I know Tom Cruise the person might not be your cup of tea. But Tom Cruise the actor in Magnolia is truly amazing. I used to say that Tom Cruise deserved an Oscar for his part in Rainman instead of Dustin Hoffman (admit it. It was Cruise that held that film together.) But if he ever deserved a nod, this performance was it. Hell, the scene at his father's bedside is deserving of a national holiday.And the soundtrack! Did I mention the soundtrack?! Aimee Mann for the songs and Jon Brion's gorgeous score. It's as much a character in the story as the others I mentioned.
Anyway, I stumbled upon the entire movie on YouTube. It's in parts but the quality is really good. So for anyone reading this that hasn't seen the film and still doesn't feel like plopping down $4 for a rental, just click on this link and watch for free. I promise you won't be disappointed.
And see There Will Be Blood. I would love to have someone tell me how I feel about it.
You may or may not know this, but I am gay for P.T.A. I love the man's films. While I share your admiration for "Magnolia," I think his underappreciated gem is "Punch-Drunk Love."
ReplyDelete"There Will Be Blood" left me feeling so devastated that I thought I'd never want to see it again. It was beautifuly shot and acted. The score was perfect. Paul Dano was as much a revelation to me as Day-Lewis. But that's the thing...Daniel Day-Lewis is magnificent, truly a wonder to behold. But he's such a soul-sucking miserable bastard throughout the entire movie that I practically hated all of humantiy as I walked out of the theater. I would say this means his performance was effective, but there is no joy (other than marvelling at his acting chops) to be had from watching the film.
I admired it's craftmanship, but felt I never needed to admire it again.
Taking some time away from the film, however, I feel a bit differently. Certain scenes have resonated with me, and now I want to see them again. The final scene is so brilliantly executed that I want to relish in it one more time. It's a powerful (yet misanthropic) piece of filmmaking, that I would say I appreciated more than loved.
Well said. Well said.
ReplyDeleteSo, Helen and I saw it last night. Like everyone's said, D.D. Lewis (as he lets me call him) was gripping. But I'm with you: I left the film not quite blown away but still thinking about it. Unlike, say Magnolia, this was not a film I'd care to see again. Maybe it was because there were no surprises in the highly predictable script. Maybe it was because I left going, "Yep. That was a great movie. So, who's up for Carvel ice cream?"
ReplyDeleteIt's really strange. I left "No Country For Old Men" completely blown away, but there are all these other movies people are talking about - Atonement, Juno, There Will Be Blood - that, after watching them, I'm pretty indifferent to, while at the same time recognizing how great they were. The only theory that makes sense in explaining why I'm not blown away is that they live up to all the hype so there's no surprise left.
If only there was a way to avoid being inundated by the hype machine, but since that's sorta what I do for a living, guess there's no chance of that happening. Damn advertising industry.
Welp, I'm off to watch the Super Bowl, and not for the game. Sisyphus out.
Well, you know how I felt about No Country For Old Men. Your feelings about There Will Be Blood are very similar to how I felt about NCFOM. There was no surprise in that whole movie. I compare that movie to the following joke:
ReplyDeleteA priest, a bunny, and a giraffe walk into a bar. The bartender asks, "whatta ya have?" The end.
No Country For Old Men, like the joke, is a slightly improbable scenario but not impossible. There's nothing striking or amazing about it. It did have long uncomfortable pauses and uncomfortable situations, but quirkiness for the sake of quirkiness is no better than building a movie around special effects while totally neglecting the story (see Jurassic Park.)
Maybe I'm getting harder to impress. I haven't liked a lot of the recent movies that got critical acclaim or word of mouth buzz; Junebug, Friends With Money, Shopgirl, and let's not forget the abomination that was Sideways.
I came away from all of these movies asking myself why was this a movie and not a conversation with someone on an airplane? None of these stories were compelling in the least bit to me.
But then I love Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Go figure. Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm looking to be entertained more.