"There will be blood" is no masterpiece, and certainly not the best film of the decade

Rating: 6/10 (5 March 2015)

It seems that, even though it (fairly) lost the best picture prize to NCFOM, TWWB is regarded as the best film of the decade. That if features a good performance by veteran actor Daniel Day-Lewis is an undeniable fact. But even there I'm afraid I have to disagree with most of this film supporters, because IMHO showing unparalleled fury or rage and overpowering every word with the weirdest of voices does not equal the best performance of all time, because that would mean being able to show some depth an nuance, which starring at the horizon and saying "I hate most people" certainly does not. I do believe he's a great actor, one of the greatest of all time, but this is certainly not his best performance. Apart from that point, which still remains as the best part of the movie, we're presented with a story about his character's greed for oil, and a character study of how his greed and contempt for the world gradually isolates him from even his son. That would actually be a great premise for a movie, if it was actually treated as in-depth study of real human feelings and emotions and for the better an entertaining one. What we get instead is a totally boring movie made by the most overrated filmmaker of all time who, aside from the amazing technique displayed in some breathtaking shots, can do nothing but throw at us how in love he is with his own material. Don't get me wrong, because I'm no transformers fan, and I love drawn-out movies, such as The Godfather, The Deer Hunter, Bergman movies, just to name a few, if they actually have something new or interesting to show or to say, which rarely happens through this wandering mess. How some people say it has a deep meaning that touched theirs souls like nothing else is beyond me. If you want real feeling that is gut-wrenching and tears your soul apart then watch a Bergman movie or read some Dostoevsky, because this pretentious mess ain't nothing of that kind. I know there are movies that grow on you after some watches, but after the third one I gave up and so consider myself in position to criticize it. "Boogie Nights" is so superior to this in even aspect, and I would go so far as to call that movie a flawed masterpiece, but certainly not this. After two and half hours of boringhood, there comes a finale that's both surprising and rather kubrickian, and although by then we all know it's a trick the director is pulling on us to make us think he has achieved something deep and true, we can still enjoy the fabulous Day-Lewis get lost in a sea of despair. It's the only memorable thing about this movie, other than the very good cinematography, the good performances and the amazing tracking shots unfortunately ruined by an unnecessary score.