Ah!

Rating: 7/10 (29 April 2008)

While prospecting for silver Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), finds oil and starts to build his empire.
I am not familiar with Daniel Day-Lewis so I must ask, does he always sound like he is imitating Sean Connery's speech? Well, anyway, it worked; I enjoyed that part of him. He does capture the Best Actor Award and I have no problem with that. His character is driven to succeed to the point he trusts no one. Problem is we don't know why he is that way, no background was given to provide any clue. He claims his wife died in childbirth, and later says he found the baby and kept it to show to others he has a softer side and maybe they would feel sorry for him and give in to him. That worked too. But, the more successful he becomes, the meaner he becomes. Again, we do not know why this progression. We just accept it and Daniel Day-Lewis walks off with the Oscar. Ah! So the key to the Award is not explaining oneself? Ah!
The movie holds you because you do not know what mean thing Plainview will throw at others, and this continues all the way to the very end. Very Clever. It's not that we do not like Plainview, we just don't understand him at all and we look for a softer side, and end up in a dry well. Sorry.
For a movie to behave like an epic-in-the-making, there are no women in here to help us discover who this man is. No humor. And, absolutely no give and many lines by this man are like they come from a shotgun. Ooops, he does show a softer side when he talks about what he will do for the community so he can rake in the oil profits. He needs to do that to get what he wants, and that, of course, is: everything. Yes, he is a good salesman (person) when he needs to be. Ah!
Since this movie seemed to be nominated for just about everything, I was surprised there was no nomination for the Music Oscar. The music was outstanding, and yet, no nomination for that. Maybe, it's just me.
Let's see: struggle to find silver, find oil instead, trust no one, get baby, use baby, build empire, trust no one, get religion to get more oil, steal oil (oh, oh!) to make bigger empire, trust no one, blood spilled. Yes, everything is there but no women, no trust, no humor, no humanity. Ah!
Violence: Yes, Sex: No, Nudity: No, Language: No