Be Honest -- It's a Mess

Rating: 3/10 (7 August 2008)

Now that the hysteria has died down, it's time to revisit this movie.
First, Daniel Day-Lewis is playing the same role, movie after movie. I couldn't help but think of his performance in Gangs of New York (as Bill Cutting) as I watched this picture. He makes what he does appear so effortless that it is a pleasure to see him on screen, but giving him an Oscar for this picture is not too different from giving John Wayne an Oscar for True Grit.
Second, there is no character development. We don't know why Day-Lewis is in the desert, what started him prospecting, what got him interested in oil, or what happens to him during the years the movie glosses over.
There is no rational explanation for why he turns out the way he does. (Am trying to avoid spoilers.) The movie does not make sense. Sorry to disappoint you . . . .
One good thing: It is not a Coen Brothers film, and lacks the pretense of their films.