Drink from your Milkshake

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2008)

Greetings again from the darkness. Even as a kid, I never understood why God needed so much money. Business I understood. Religion was presented as the spiritual necessity of the cleansed and righteous soul ... yet tithing of less than 10% was considered selfish. On the other hand, business was upfront about the mission of profit. To me, there was only the finest of lines between the two. PT Anderson makes my point in a far more stylish manner than I could ever hope.
The extraordinary lord of acting, Daniel Day-Lewis is once again bigger than life on screen ... this time as Daniel Plainview, a self-proclaimed oilman and hater of people. Day-Lewis is so fascinating in that he is one of the few actors that just grab your eyes and hold on while he is on screen. Here, his subtle gestures and eye movements are more than enough to hold us at attention. He has the look and feel of an oilman at the turn of the century. We also know for certain that he is a tortured soul.
Mr. Plainview's nemesis is not just the dirt he drills in, but also the young prophet, Eli Sunday, played to spooky perfection by Paul Dano (so wonderful as the son/brother in "Little Miss Sunshine"). In their few scenes together, it is like watching two expert fighters with opposite style go at each other. Plainview's prop is his cute, young son (played well by Dillon Freasier) and Eli's prop is the cross around his neck. Just a guilty pleasure watching these two spar.
Based on Upton Sinclair's novel "Oil", director PT Anderson (the underrated "Magnolia" and "Punch Drunk Love" and the overrated "Boogie Nights") provides a film that on the surface appears quiet, while ... like the oil ... just under the surface is simmering with emotion and action. The majestic performance of Day-Lewis brings it all together, but Anderson must receive credit for some stunning shots and tension filled scenes.
The film has a very unusual look and feel so to compliment it, we are given a score from Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead fame). The guitar is haunting and, at times startling. What prevents this one from pure greatness is the over-the-top final sequences between Plainview and Eli. If that scene had been handled differently, the last scene with Plainview and his son would have been even more powerful.