Finally a PTA film with staying power

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2008)

I know there are film lovers out there who feel PTA's Magnolia and Boogie Nights are timeless classics. But I firmly disagree. At the end of the day, neither of these films stay with this viewer. Both films are just too psychoanalytical and melodramatic in the world of bourgeois whiteness for me. Who really cares about the underworld of porn, or the inner dynamic trials and tribulations of Simi Valley whites? Yet, both films, at times, demonstrated that PTA is capable of greatness: whether it be crafty dialog or taken for granted interconnectedness.
"There WIll Be Blood" absolutely changed my perception of PTA as the poster boy of white melodrama. The character development, direction, and relevant themes are mature and critically analyzed through outstanding performances from Daneil Day Lewis and Paul Dano. The movie does justice to Sinclair's "Oil" and casts a surgical shadow on the corrupt world of big oil business while concurrently fleshing out the dynamics of family, religion, and the American dream.
Lewis' performance as Daniel Plainview should win him an Oscar, though Tommy Lee Jones' performance (In the Valley of Elah) is nearly on par. What separates Lewis' from the rest of the Oscar competition is his seemingly complete immersion into the Plainview character: the inner demons, mannerisms (both subtle and grand), turn of the century accent, Midwestern roots, dark humor, and guilt make for an epic character filled with complexity and an underlying sense of principle. Sadly, Plainview's dark side prevails.
If there is one downer in this film, it's the Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead guitarist) soundtrack. It's overstated and often inappropriate, and yes I realize that most of you will disagree with me. I think the cast more than holds court justifying the haunting, opaque reality of this film and Sinclair's novel. Thus, let the actors set the tone Mr. Anderson. But then again, Radiohead, a too often whiny band, receives most of its upper tier distinction amongst none other than: bourgeois whites.