The "Great American Movie"?

Rating: 10/10 (6 January 2008)

I would say this has to be a serious contender for the "Great American Movie"-- a story that embodies fully and nearly perfectly, if not perfectly, the American mentality-- the dream to win at all costs, to achieve beyond all measure, to change the world at the expense of your soul. If not that, this is at least the most perspicacious comment on the ethos of America that has pushed it to the front of the world stage for all these years (and led it to war most recently), the mentality that is responsible for all the great achievements and shortcomings in the American character. I always thought P.T. Anderson was gifted, but I was never wowed until now. I haven't been wowed like this since "The Godfather." As for the technical accomplishments of this film, they are quite close to perfect-- from the score, the editing, the sound mix, the cinematography, and of course, Paul Dano's amazing performance and Daniel Day-Lewis' unmatched immersion in his role. Have I run out of SAT adjectives to praise this film yet?