Day-Lewis makes the movie.

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2008)

I will say first that i think this movie needed someone like Daniel Day-Lewis to carry it through the 2 plus hours, and i don't think anyone else could have played his character nearly as well as he did. A lot of people that have commented on this movie have said that it was perfect, but i choose to disagree. I'm not saying it is not a good movie, it is a very well made one and definitely worth buying a ticket and driving into town (which i did) for. When I first walked out of the theater i could not decide if i was disappointed or if the movie (which i had been waiting to see for months) just wasn't what i expected, and i decided on the latter simply because the movie made me think the entire drive home and the next day. It seemed to me like there was a lot of buildup during some of the scenes where i expected something drastic and major to happen but those feelings just plateaued. I guess this could partly be attributed to the dramatic score by Greenwood, which for the most part was captivating but once or twice out of place or overdone. The sets and filming locations were very well constructed and thought out. I'm glad to see that No Country and TWBB, two fantastic films, were both filmed in my home state. Overall, I really enjoyed watching Plainview's descent into madness and utter hatred of man, as well as the story's views on big business and the money grubbers controlling oil at the time. Day-Lewis carries the weight of the film and Daniel Plainview is a character that i wont soon forget. This movie wasn't perfect but was fantastic and should be appreciated. As far as Oscar's go, I wouldn't be surprised if Day-Lewis wins Best Actor but for Best Picture, I think No Country will take it.