Generally OK, But Flawed And Over-Hyped

Rating: 5/10 (9 February 2008)

OK, I get it. Greed, especially for demonized oil will ruin your soul. But there were pretty big plot holes that didn't make this movie the top 250 gem for me that a lot of you other voters made it. The movie depicted the main character's slide into insanity without really explaining it. Was it his adopted son's handicap? Was it truly his greed and ambition? Was it his success? Was it his tortured past? These are questions left unanswered for me and honestly one's I will not spend too much time trying to figure out. I could understand the turmoil the son experienced after his injury, but just couldn't relate to it's effect on the father. I did enjoy the starkness with which the movie was depicted, no overbearing soundtrack trying to tug on my heart strings, just an increasingly crazy character that increasingly left me puzzled.
Oh, and Hollywood LOVES to portray the crazy Christian preacher with his ignorant followers, but they STILL don't understand that the most twisted church leaders have enticing charisma, not creepy personalities and sermons. The character portrayed in this movie reminded me more of Malachi from Children of the Corn, definitely an overplayed character...not believable at all. Don't get me wrong, there are preachers out there like that, but NOT with followings that comprise a whole town. Large followings are led astray by likable, relatable personalities, not creepy ones. Creepy characters just creep those around them out...they don't get them to dance in church and drink poisoned kool-aid by the dozens.
Daniel Plainview is being compared with Hannibal Lecter...by the mentally handicapped. Don't get me wrong...Mr. Plainview is plainly crazy. But evil? No way. My vote for the most recent, willy-inducing character goes to Anton Chigurh of No Country For Old Men. And may everyone that dared place him on the level of this true baddie be tracked down and eliminated with his bolt pistol like the mindless herd they are.
Yeah, this movie has everything an Oscar voter will love...a crazy Christian over-acting preacher, soul-devouring oil, and commercial hype ... basically everything that the road to hell should consist of. This movie is being compared to true Hollywood classics such as The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. There are far better movies to see this Oscar season...personally, my vote goes to Juno. For those considering checking this movie out for the morality play aspect, do yourself a favor and stick with the classics like The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. You'll be better off for it.