Oscar Favorite Has Plenty Going For It

Rating: 8/10 (14 February 2008)

The Academy has been keeping on eye on writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA)'s work as a modern voice of cinema. It has been ten years since Boogie Nights (1997) was nominated for Best Screenplay as well as two supporting role acting nods. Later, Magnolia (1999) also received a Best Screenplay nomination (PTA) and Best Supporting Actor (Cruise) as PTA took a talented cast and pushed film's boundaries with an excruciating pace and an ending that strangely remained sober in its farfetchedness. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) did not get any Oscar nomination and is perhaps not as accomplished as his two previous, yet it did win him Best Director at Cannes no less! It proved that he was an engaging director that could translate his familiarity with his work and characters to allow his actors (yes, even Adam Sandler) to give meaningful and memorable performances. It also ascertained his down-to-earth slow-paced style, even if the actual movie was 95 mins compared to his previous drawn out 150mins+ endeavors.
In this context, PTA is back with a vengeance and gets 8 nominations for this film, including (again) Best Adapted Screenplay, but also Best Picture and Best Actor (this time in a Leading Role.) This one is back to the long narrative at over 2h30 and starts very slowly with a dialog-less beginning reminiscent of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)'s overture. When the dialog begins, we get a glimpse of the great sound and picture editing that is to come and permeate the film throughout. The score consists of almost isolated notes that create and release the tension. It is quite suited to the piece as, like the story that it tells, there is nothing too melodious about it. Not surprinsingly, PTA chooses to tell the story slowly but surely. There is many long takes with beautiful cinematography and plenty of moments without dialog. When there is dialog however, it is potent and to the point. The story unravels as the many twists and turns come to past and everything is connected somehow. The real complexity is however revealed in the third and final act (note that the church is named the third revelation) where everything comes into question and stirs conflict while the dialog and acting turn from boiling to iron-hot. This strong ending is born out of the earlier scenes. It captivates and cumulates all the way to the last line: "I'm finished.'
As for the acting, Daniel Day-Lewis gives a riveting performance as charismatic and enigmatic Daniel Plainview, topping even his remarkable Oscar-winning take on debilitated Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989) and getting better and better as the story progresses. Paul Dano, from Little Miss Sunshine (2006) fame, gives a calculated counterpart performance as the town's eminent young religious figure. He gives some especially strong scenes and something can also be said for young Dillon Freasier's portrayal of Daniel's son.
At the end of the day, this is a fine film with a hard look at America's and human's ambition and greed. It deals with themes of family, community, religion and entrepreneurship in an interesting and interwoven way. A great addition not only to PTA's catalog, but to the art of cinema in general.