Theatrical but nonetheless impressive

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2013)

Paul Thomas Anderson is a masterful film-maker, and 'There Will be Blood' is a gripping movie, with a superb, always surprising score. The tale of a Californian oilman (apparently with groundings in a real life story), it makes history compelling; and compelling is certainly a good word to describe Daniel Day Lewis's performance as a charismatic, charming but fundamentally ruthless figure, whose need to win ultimately drives away all those close to him (and that's the best fate that any of them get). The film isn't perfect: the dialogue never feels natural, and Lewis's acting is stage-y, though in a mostly good way: powerful and intimate, but not completely emotionally engaging; and the story of his final descent seems a little decoupled from the bulk of the movie. This doesn't mean that two hours don't pass very quickly when watching this film.