Good movie with a strange ending

Rating: 8/10 (11 February 2009)

This movie has been hailed as one of the greatest movies of all time by various critics. Does it deserve all the praise? I don't know. The movie succeeds in creating memorable characters and has great performances but ultimately I felt that the ending ruined the movie somewhat.
I liked the focus on the business deals of the main character Daniel Plainview(Daniel day Lewis). It gave me an insight into the oil business in the early 20th century and the lengths that some people go in order to obtain them profits from the oil business. There is a scene in the movie in which Daniel is ready to be accepted into a Christian denomination which he doesn't believe in and whose leader he hates a lot, in order to obtain the land o build a pipeline. He is ready to be humiliated by the leader Eli Sunday(Paul Dano) if it means that he will get the land. That portrays perfectly the single minded greed of the people who want to cash in on the oil business. There is also the fact that there is not a single prominent female character in the movie. There is no love interest or any sort of female companion to Daniel. He seems like a guy who is too focused on his business that he forgets about the most important things in life. But it is fascinating to watch how he involves people in the small town where he sets up his drilling business even though he is known as a cold man. It is also interesting to note that he avoids any sort of questions regarding his son or the mother of the son. He is portrayed as a man who doesn't confide in anybody and doesn't talk about his inner feelings. The one person who he confides to turns out to be a fake. That hardens him even further thus making his lose faith in humanity.
The positive aspects would mainly concern the performance of Daniel Day Lewis. His intense performance is one of the best I have ever seen since the performance of De Niro in Raging Bull. He portrays a man who is weary of the world and who has a single minded obsession. One of my favourite scenes is the scene in the bar when he says vehemently to a man that he doesn't have the right to tell him how to raise a family. The scene in the church where he is ready to be baptised into the Christian denomination is also a great example where he perfectly portrays the intensity of the moment. Another positive aspect is the music which has a weird creepy feel to it. There are no flamboyant pieces which may distract people from the story, only an intense background score which complements the cynical mood of the movie. The direction is fabulous and the scene where the oil bursts through and some other scenes are nicely done.
The negatives? Well for one, the ending. I felt that the ending was totally out of place in the movie. It didn't really fit it in the intense feel of the movie. It seemed cartoonish and unrealistic. I know many people have praised the scene and the milkshake line has become famous but I wasn't impressed. Also the entertainment factor isn't much. I don't think there is much chance that I would watch it again. Basically it is a bit too slow and maybe too cynical for my liking.
Overall I would give it an 8/10 for the performance of Daniel Day Lewis and the general structure of the movie.