A Modern Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2008)

I was quite affected by "There Will Be Blood." Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the best actors of all time and his performance is absolutely revelatory. The fact that he can get audiences to both root for and revile Daniel Plainview is quite a feat. Day-Lewis doesn't play himself playing a character, he just IS his character. Not once do you "catch" him acting. This is the mark of a truly great actor. The thing I love about "There Will Be Blood" is that it seems quite simple on the surface, but underneath it is emotionally and morally complex. The film shows the pursuit of the American dream and the hardships that go along with it. We are meant to think that Daniel Plainview is a money-grubbing bastard, and he is, but he got that way because he's worked his whole life to become that way, and he's worked hard at the cost of sacrificing his sanity and whatever morals he may have once possessed.
While "There Will Be Blood" is a bit slower-moving than many of the other Best Picture nominees, it was quietly riveting. I was drawn into the story, and there were several moments I had tears in my eyes. The cinematography was lovely and Johnny Greenwood's score was just moving enough to add a bit of emotional punch. In my eyes, "There Will Be Blood" is going to become a modern masterpiece, and perhaps one of the most important films of our time.
Paul Thomas Anderson has crafted a tried and true masterpiece.
Simply put: the Best Picture of 2007.