Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, the story of a singularly motivated early 20th century oil tycoon, reminds me of No Country for Old Men in a lot of ways. It is perfectly crafted, there's a purpose behind every single shot, it works tirelessly to create an authentic atmosphere, and it is light on dialogue and heavy on top notch acting. But like No Country for Old Men, while watching There Will Be Blood, I found myself wondering where's the heart? With No Country there are a few likable characters at least, a class of being more or less non-existent in There Will Be Blood. But then I realized this movie doesn't need likable characters, it offers a much more rewarding experience by building up and tearing down its main character and leaving the viewer confused about what to think and feel. Instead of offering up a hero, There Will Be Blood provides a fantastic anti-hero - savvy, hard-working, intelligent yes, but also completely cold and heartless and without a care for anyone else other than himself in the entire world.
It wouldn't have worked nearly as well if it didn't have Daniel Day-Lewis, the greatest currently working actor and one of the greatest of all-time, immersing himself in the lead role. Daniel Day-Lewis giving a standout performance is to be expected but just as importantly Paul Dano (who played the voluntarily mute son in Little Miss Sunshine) offers a legitimate foil to Day-Lewis' oil man with his prophetic preacher. As the story develops, the relationship between Day-Lewis and Dano's characters is one of the most interesting aspects of this film. Similar in theme and scope to Citizen Kane, There Will Be Blood would be a worthy Best Picture winner and Day-Lewis, in my eyes at least, is a mortal lock for Best Actor.
Monday, January 28, 2008
There Will Be Blood - 8.5
Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, the story of a singularly motivated early 20th century oil tycoon, reminds me of No Country for Old Men in a lot of ways. It is perfectly crafted, there's a purpose behind every single shot, it works tirelessly to create an authentic atmosphere, and it is light on dialogue and heavy on top notch acting. But like No Country for Old Men, while watching There Will Be Blood, I found myself wondering where's the heart? With No Country there are a few likable characters at least, a class of being more or less non-existent in There Will Be Blood. But then I realized this movie doesn't need likable characters, it offers a much more rewarding experience by building up and tearing down its main character and leaving the viewer confused about what to think and feel. Instead of offering up a hero, There Will Be Blood provides a fantastic anti-hero - savvy, hard-working, intelligent yes, but also completely cold and heartless and without a care for anyone else other than himself in the entire world.
It wouldn't have worked nearly as well if it didn't have Daniel Day-Lewis, the greatest currently working actor and one of the greatest of all-time, immersing himself in the lead role. Daniel Day-Lewis giving a standout performance is to be expected but just as importantly Paul Dano (who played the voluntarily mute son in Little Miss Sunshine) offers a legitimate foil to Day-Lewis' oil man with his prophetic preacher. As the story develops, the relationship between Day-Lewis and Dano's characters is one of the most interesting aspects of this film. Similar in theme and scope to Citizen Kane, There Will Be Blood would be a worthy Best Picture winner and Day-Lewis, in my eyes at least, is a mortal lock for Best Actor.
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