Half a Movie deserves Half a Score

Rating: 5/10 (29 March 2008)

Surely Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is outstanding. He's the real artist among professionals. I think there is no other actor like him around now for such roles. So let's give the movie 5 points. But where is the rest of the film? Direction is good, soundtrack interesting, but the plot? Let's be honest, the plot does not work. Because you have only the oilman on the screen, and all the rest is very thin--too thin. I'd have to say "underdeveloped". The problem is the screenplay. There are many ideas that might have worked very well, i.e. playing the opposition between the sly man of oil and the crooked man of faith. But nothing. It's left there. All in all, I was disappointed. Though surely Day-Lewis deserved his Academy Award.