Masterful

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2008)

I'm not sure where to start with my praise.
I could talk about the story, how it tells both the tale of Plainview and the oil rush while also being about neither in particular. It's a narrative that could be told in any time, in any place in America, with any protagonist. It could just as easily be the saga of Howard Hughes or Henry Ford. But it's also very directly about oil. It's an interesting dichotomy.
I could talk about the acting, how Daniel Day-Lewis steals the show and is also very nearly matched by Paul Dano in his dual role where you're never really sure if there's two characters or not. But if Dano's performance is terrific, than Day-Lewis is nothing short of legendary. It will go down in history as one of the few outstanding one-man shows in cinema, up there with Orson Welles and Jack Nicholson.
I could talk about the visuals, how every shot seems sprung out of the mind of an insane genius. The exploding oil well is the highlight, of course, but there's also the fantastic dialogue-free opening that wouldn't feel out of place in bloody 2001. Combined with the frantic, alien score and the impeccably accurate sets and costumes, this is a film that is both a period piece and something else entirely.
I could talk about the themes, but I'd take way too long. I could talk about the music over and over again. I could talk about the bloody credits. I could talk about the bowling alley and milkshakes and whiskey. But I'll just say this: "I'm finished."