Will Be Compared to Pacino in Scarface

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2008)

Do not be discouraged by the title of this film - despite its ominous poster and trailer it is a fascinating film. I think the cinematography and score complement each other so well that certain scenes haunt you after seeing it. Daniel Day-Lewis' performance reminds me of a Robert de Niro meets Sean Connery or John Huston. He is so powerful on screen that it seems the other characters move only in accordance with him.
In a sense this film is about oil, but it is also about the human condition and its effect on the environment and the people who are near it. Despite the solid performance from Paul Dano and Daniel Plainview's son, Lewis' performance is like a demigod's on screen and it is hard to forget it. Even if he doesn't receive an Oscar, it will be compared to O'Toole's in Lawrence of Arabia or Pacino's in Scarface. Irresistible yet repulsive simultaneously.