Sit on down & drink your milkshake! 'There will be blood' is a film worth watching!

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2017)

2007's 'There will be Blood' is truly the 'Citizen Kane' for the modern age. While, both movies are similar in many ways when it comes to, the negative dealing of capitalism and its inherent trouble of greed. 'There will be Blood' takes the concept into a darker shade of black with its main character, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis), loosely based on historic oil tycoon, Edward L. Doheny, on his ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Without spoiling the film, too much, all I'm going to say, is Plainview does nearly everything horrible to gain success, throughout the movie; yet, surprising, there is something that about Plainview, audiences and critics find him, sympatric. Much of that, comes from the fact, that he is hard-working, determine, and down-right charisma. Because of that, while, most people don't condone his brutal misanthropic action, we still admired his ambition of the American Dream, even if it's bit morally dirty. Another reason, why people tend to like, Plainview, is the fact, that Daniel Day Lewis's acting is astonishing good, with his use of his tone and body language. He impresses us a lot, on how well, Plainview is, in being a master debonair con artist, when it comes to portraying himself as a family man, when it's outright not true. Also, while, the movie doesn't have much of the offbeat humor that Anderson's previous movies, is know for; the way, Plainview coolly lay down brutal mean-spirited insults and threats to weaker, secondary characters was bit humorous, even if it's technically, highly considered as highly offensive bullying. Sometimes, we just happen to like the villain, because in a way, deep inside us. We, too, have a dark side, wanting a bit of power over others. As a result, we, the audience end up having conflicting feelings towards Lewis's character, rather than hating Plainview, downright. No wonder, why he won the Oscar that year. Regardless, I have nothing, against people who think Plainview is just too unlikeable to watch. Like I said before, he does nearly everything sinister on his rags to riches story. Nevertheless, it's still weird that the film was inspired by author, Upton Sinclair's 1926's novel, 'Oil!' Yet, the novel has nothing really to do with the self-made millionaire. Instead, the book focus on the only son of that man. While, most of the changes were, for the greater good. I still wonder, what if, they kept all the socialists provoke arguments throughout the story. The movie might had been a little bit better. Nevertheless, that wasn't the problem with this movie directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The delinquent about this historical drama is the pacing. It's a very slow built. Certain scenes seem to drag on, a little too long for my taste, such as the chat with his, 'supposedly' brother, Henry (Kevin J. O' Connor). Honestly, the director could had cut it, and we would still end up, with the same results. The scene wasn't really needed, but I guess, they really wanted to do the Cain Vs Abel comparison. Don't get me wrong, those sequences weren't bad. It just that the baptizing and confession scenes between biblical-like holy spiritualism vs devilish materialism conflict between Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) and David Plainview sermons was a little bit, better. I like, how both men are fighting for the rights for the town and each other's souls using their industrial and religious powers as tools. It's cool to see that Daniel's business was his religion, and Eli's religion was his business. While, some of their monologue can be, a bit wordy. Most of the dialogue & speeches, they perform, adds to already otherwise meaningful story. The baptizing and confession scenes are perfect examples. Even, the speech at the bowling alley, toward the end was powerful. Kel O'Neill, the original actor for Eli, left halfway through production due to being intimidated by Daniel Day-Lewis during the original filming of the bowling alley scene. Hearing that, proves that those scenes weren't a gutter. It was an authoritative strike. Another great thing, about this film is the camera work. The cinematography that, Paul Thomas Anderson & Robert Elswit did with their crew, was amazing. The film use of bleak desaturated colors was also profound. It made the film's gritty historic account of the time period, seem a little more real. It was dirty looking, but not too ugly. It had the right balance. Even the film score that went along with the visuals from composer Jonny Greenwood, work for the most part. It gave off, an astonishing eerily, creepy vibe that mirror, what's happening on screen. I just wish, he didn't use so much of his own recycled music, from a previous score from the 2003's 'Bodysong' documentary. It made the film, less unique & more generic. It's music, you likely to hear, in hundreds of old-school Gothic horror movies. Nevertheless, some of the recycled music that Greenwood, use, wasn't that bad; such as the case of classical cues. This film gave new life to composer Johannes Brahms's 'Violin Concerto' music. It was epic composition to end an epic film. Overall: All of this, parts was indeed a risky move for Anderson, as 'There will be Blood' was a dramatic shift in both tone and visual style from his previous works such as 1997's 'Boogie Nights' & 1999's 'Magnolia'. Away was the bright vibrant colors with catching uplifting tunes. Now, it was astonishing down to earth ground with a hellish tone that is also deep. For the most part, it kinda work. While, 2007's Coen Brothers crime masterpiece, 'No Country for Old Men' won Best Picture that year at the Academy Award. 'There will be Blood' proves that it was a fighting contender, and that Oil is indeed thinner than water. It's a must watch for anybody that loves movies.