WARNING: Failed Attempt at Art to be Worshipped by Sheep

Rating: 1/10 (10 February 2008)

Hi. How's everybody doing? I just saw 'There Will Be Blood' last night. I don't like the idea of spending my whole life on the internet on message boards discussing trivial aspects of pop culture, but I felt compelled to issue a warning about this film. Critics seem to like it. Oscar nomination folks gave it a nod. Even more so, the pseudo-critic/'we derive personal validation of our innate human desire for creation and creativity by attaching ourselves to the works of others like leeches" folks really really liked it.
This movie is not good.
It may be compelling to a degree. The acting is fine. There isn't a story. Perhaps this lack of story is OK for the fact that regular life (at least based on my perspective created from my personal experiences) does not seem to have a nice little beginning/relevant conundrum/happy resolution format. I even applaud the director for trying to make a movie such as this and "stretch" our thinking. Its just that this movie failed at stretching anything other than my ability to believe people who review films and decide for us what is good.
My warning is for those who haven't seen this movie. Please go to the theater with an open mind. Make up your own mind. Decide for yourself whether or not you like this movie. Come back home. Sit at your computer for 30 minutes if you have to and think about the movie for yourself. THEN and only then, decide what it is that you think. Write it on this website. Tell the world what YOU think.
As a society, we have to get away from being sheep. If a movie makes an attempt at being art, then that is wonderful. If it fails, then that is fine. Good try. But, lets please not decide that something is good based on some sort of manufactured intellectualist solidarity. It hurts us all.
For me, I hope someday that i get my 3 hours back.