A film should not be a struggle to enjoy yourself.

Rating: 7/10 (4 November 2008)

This is one of those films which you either love or you hate, maybe because it pivots around one character, like Taxi Driver. I think both films are overrated. Now i'm quite patient when it comes to films. but the editing made this one of the most infuriatingly slow paced films ever. the score was painful to listen to, very post-modern and dissonant, and although i like to hear something vaguely original as opposed to the fakely over-dramatic music you hear in trailers for commercialised action films (you know what I'm talking about), i felt it did nothing for the film (The Dark Knight, on the other hand, used jarring microtones briefly, right at the start of the film before the bank heist, to raise tension. I felt it was massively overused in There Will Be Blood). It was just noise which everyone was wishing would shut up. even if a film isn't sad or soppy, music is an essential part of cinema to aid the drama. it was such a relief when the Brahms violin concerto was used (i thought it was used to good effect, with a satirical edge to the 'giocoso'/joking style of the piece, especially at the end, reflecting Day-Lewis' state of mind). Anyway, the actual content of the film was essentially uninteresting, every scene was used purely to develop some character relationships and the story was incredibly basic. The cinematography was really nothing special; some wide landscape shots to give an epic effect but no beauty or symbolism. If you want great cinematography, watch Road to Perdition. I came out of the cinema feeling very bored, ripped off and disappointed and thinking this: you cannot make a film just out of one man's acting performance. Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis was great, but where was the drama? Watching a film is not just about assessing someone's acting ability. It has to mean something, to entertain, have an interesting and developed story and be dramatic. The technique of boring people with undeniably overlong shots and scenes and making them wish they'd brought a pair of earmuffs with the music simply does not make a good film in my opinion. Ending on a positive though unnecessary note: Day-Lewis gave a fantastic performance and thoroughly deserved his Oscar. His character was twisted, greedy and inhumane, possibly less shocking but more accessible and believable than his character Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. This film is probably worth seeing if you need confirmation of Day-Lewis' acting skills, but despite the final scene (an improvement on the rest of the film), you will not enjoy watching it. I would give this film a 7, because although I didn't enjoy it at all and thought it was overrated, on reconsideration I understand some of the praise it has received. There's no denying it delivers an important message about greed and human nature.