It deserves its status as a sure-fire classic to come.

Rating: 9/10 (10 November 2008)

My opinion of the film has remained consistent since I saw it in the cinema back in February. Despite the somewhat ridiculous context that does put me off often when I think of it, the commanding imagery is so engaging and inspiring that I love it. Even as a big fan of Jesse James I do think it deserved its cinematography win; not above Jesse James but still. I definitely nod Paul Thomas Anderson for his vision. Daniel Day-Lewis gives an incredibly strong but one note performance of a character, most effectively described as "angry". It's an extremely commanding performance, from his hateful rants, his glorified speeches and his painful confessions. The direction does hold on to a lot of moments with Day-Lewis and it's extremely effective, even if it does make the film stretch on with its pacing. Paul Dano gives an underrated performance, yet he completely embodies the role and almost manages to steal the show from Day-Lewis. The end wouldn't have worked as well without him. Thankfully, the screenplay adds comforting black comedy elements when it gets too contrived, almost making a joke of itself and redeeming that flaw just making me feel more engrossed. However, it is a film I struggle to truly feel involved and attached to, mostly because the characters are quite dislikeable. The score is wonderfully entwined with the images with the classical edge making it quite elaborate and almost disturbing of its intentions; however, it's almost unlistenable as a stand alone piece. My personal favourite of the 2007 Best Picture nominees. The film is my third favourite Paul Thomas Anderson film, a director I favour a lot and earns its spot on my top 100. Bravo.
9/10