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January 16, 2008

There Will Be Blood

*SPOILER ALERT*
The other night I got the chance to see a sneek preview of 'There Will Be Blood,' and boy, was I impressed...by Daniel Day Lewis, as well as Paul Dano. However, the movie didn't live up to what I was hoping for. I actually talked to someone this past week who had 'Blood' as #1 in their Top 10 list for 2007...they hadn't even seen the film yet! That is the measure of expectations I had for this very film.

As I was waiting outside the Tivoli Theatre for almost an hour, freezing my ars off I couldn't wait for the spectacle; for the chance to see an incredible, epic film such as this. What I didn't expect was a film that started out intriguing and then never went anywhere. Have you ever seen a movie and thought, "the first half without the second half was incredible, or, the second half without the first half was really great?" It seemed that the film lacked a theme to grab ahold of, like, there were many messages pervayed, but none to fully commit to. As I watched the film I thought we were headed towards a movie about the woes of the oil industry and the evils that can be brought on a community as a result. Then I thought it was a story of good vs. evil. Then I thought that it was a story of how a person can turn into a monster in their greed for more. I guess it was all those things...just wish Paul Thomas Anderson could have gone down one road and focused. Had he done that I would have put my straw into his creative milkshake, and drunk it up. You'll know what that means by the end of the movie.
One thing I can say is Daniel Day Lewis' portrayel of Daniel Plainview, one of the first good ol' boys in the oil business, is fun to watch. He will be winning the Oscar for his performance. You will love to hate him...he is as convincing in this film as any actors' performance can be. He delivers harsh and cruel lines with such a direct approach that people in the audience cringed outloud at some of the things that came out of his mouth.
Another performance that deserves praise is from Little Miss Sunshine's Paul Dano. Interstingly enough, the character he plays in 'Blood' is far opposite of the one he plays in 'Sunshine.' This movie shows the ability of one who can play such diverse roles and still make it happen. Dano plays the role of a faith healer who heads the Church of the Third Revelation. It was he that brought the news of an oil leed to Plainview's attention, and it is he who comes to soon regret what he had done. I don't want to give anything else away in case any of you movie people see the film...just know the acting is one for the history books.

The cinemotography is incredible as well...there are great shots through out the film. It's beautiful and like the story, cruel and harsh. Going along with the picture was the musical score, written by Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood, which came and went with ease; it carried the movie along it's winding path. The soundtrack is as gentle as the movie is bright and outrageous. If you see one film this Awards season, see 'No Country for Old Men,' but, if you see 6 or 7...this movie should be in there.

| By Nathan Gemayel | 7:47 PM

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