The Master

Plot synopsis:
Freddie Quell is a sex-obsessed alcoholic World War II veteran from Lynn, Massachusetts, struggling to adjust to post-war society. By 1950, he has become a portrait photographer at a department store, but he is soon fired for getting into a drunken fight with a customer. Freddie then finds work at a Salinas, California cabbage farm, but his moonshine poisons one of the elderly Filipino migrant workers and he is chased off.
One night, intoxicated, Freddie finds himself in San Francisco and stows away on the yacht of a follower of Lancaster Dodd, the leader of a nascent philosophical movement known as "The Cause." When he is discovered, Dodd describes Freddie as "aberrated" and invites him to stay and attend the marriage of his daughter, Elizabeth, as long as he will make more of his mysterious brew (made with paint thinner), which Dodd has developed a taste for. Dodd begins an exercise with Freddie called Processing, a flurry of disturbing psychological questions aimed at conquering Freddie's past traumas. Freddie reveals that his father is dead, his mother is institutionalized, he had an incestuous relationship with his aunt, and he abandoned the love of his life, a young girl named Doris, who wrote to him while he was at war. Freddie is enthralled by Dodd, who doesn't flinch from his abject revelations, and Dodd sees something in Freddie. Freddie travels with Dodd's family as they spread the teachings of "The Cause" along the East Coast. Dodd and his family, with Freddie tagging along, stay as guests in the homes of various women drawn to "The Cause." But when at a dinner party in New York, a man questions Dodd's methods and statements, Freddie pursues him to his apartment and assaults him that night.
Other members of "The Cause" begin to worry about Freddie's behavior, despite Dodd's attachment to him. While they are guests of an acolyte in Philadelphia, Dodd's wife Peggy tells Freddie that he must quit drinking if he wishes to stay, to which he agrees. However, he has no true intention of keeping his promise. Freddie criticizes Dodd's son Val for disregarding his father's teachings, but Val tells Freddie that Dodd is making things up as he goes along. Dodd is arrested for practicing medicine without proper qualifications, after one of his former hostesses has a change of heart; Freddie is also arrested for assaulting the police officers. In the jail cell adjacent to Dodd, Freddie smashes the toilet and batters himself against the bars and his bunk, while Dodd tries to calm him. Freddie erupts in a tirade, questioning everything that Dodd has taught him and accuses him of being a fake. The two men trade insults until Dodd turns his back. They reconcile upon their release, but members of "The Cause" have become more suspicious and fearful of Freddie, believing him to be deranged or an undercover agent.
Freddie submits to additional exercises with "The Cause" but becomes increasingly angry and frustrated with the repetition of the exercises and his lack of results. Eventually he passes the tests, and they travel to Phoenix, Arizona, for the release of Dodd's latest book. But when Dodd's publisher criticizes the quality of the book and its teachings, Freddie assaults him. Helen Sullivan, their Philadelphia hostess, confronts Dodd in the lecture hall for suggesting that members should now "imagine" rather than "recall" the experiences of "other lives" in his new book, and he also loses his temper. During another exercise, in which Freddie is supposed to ride a motorcycle at high speed through the desert towards an object in the distance and then return, he instead abandons the group, riding the motorcycle out of the desert, and leaving Dodd and "The Cause" behind. He goes home to rekindle his relationship with Doris but learns from her mother that she has married and started a family in Alabama in the seven years since he last saw her. Freddie leaves disappointed.
While sleeping in a movie theater, Freddie receives a phone call (or dreams that he has) from Dodd, who is now residing in England. Freddie is asked to come join him. When Freddie arrives, he discovers Val is still in his father's employ and that Elizabeth has been expelled from the movement. Dodd seems happy to see him but Peggy tells him that Freddie has no intention of improving his life and that he should no longer be involved in "The Cause." Dodd changes his countenance, thinking his wife is correct. He gives Freddie an ultimatum: stay with "The Cause" and devote himself to it for the rest of his life or leave and never return. Freddie doesn't answer, expressing with silence his refusal. Dodd then comments that if Freddie can find a way to live without a master, any master, to let Dodd know because he'll be the first person in the history of the world to do so. Then Dodd serenades Freddie with the song "Slow Boat to China". Freddie leaves and picks up a woman at a local pub, then repeats questions from his first processing session with Dodd as he is having sex with her. Finally, he appears to curl up on a beach next to the crude sand sculpture of a woman the sailors built during the war.

Tags: comedy, violence, cult, flashback, insanity, philosophical, storytelling

Review:
As Hoffman's character says in the trailer for "The Master" - "But above all, I am a man".The movie deals with an interesting idea of the leader vs.
Like the late master Kubrick and the aging master Terrence Malick (who, coincidentally, just debuted his 6th film, "To the Wonder", at the latest Venice Film Festival where PTA won the Silver Lion for Best Director), he isn't the most prolific of filmmakers; but his perfectionist creations, cerebral yet strikingly cinematic and emotional, always leave an indelible mark (polarizing audiences but usually earning critical acclaim).
It closely resembles "There Will Be Blood" in tone and content, but it stands on its own (Jonny Greenwood is once again responsible for the score).Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled and troubling drifter who becomes the right-hand man of Lancaster Dodd (actor extraordinaire Philip Seymour Hoffman), "the master" of a cult named The Cause in post-WWII America.
The Master is absolutely magnetic, orchestrated brilliantly by writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson and helmed by the commanding turns of Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman.Anderson has never been a director that makes a film for everyone to enjoy.
In a broad sense, The Master tells the story of a soulless drifter, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix,) constantly drunk and with no purpose in life, finding sanctuary in the company of The Cause, a cult-like group lead by a charismatic intellectual, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman.) This plot description does not do the film full justice, because with this film, Anderson fully releases himself from the constraints of traditional narrative storytelling.
The film is very subjective, and puts us squarely in Freddie Quell's mind; as a result, no easy answers are given, many questions remain mysteries, and we never get a firmly grounded sense of reality; many events remain ambiguous and keep us wondering as to their fidelity long after the film is over.The Master is Anderson's most cinematically humble film yet.
Over the years, Phoenix has, without much fanfare, slowly but surely cemented himself as one of the best actors working today, with powerful turns in many varied films, from his deliciously villains turn as emperor Commodus in Gladiator to his quiet, grave personification of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line.
It is a crowning achievement in the art of acting and "the method," rivaling that of Daniel Day-Lewis in Anderson's previous film, and it further cements the biggest difference between Anderson and Stanley Kubrick as directors: Where Kubrick is known for his actors' cold, removed performances, Anderson has become the most consistent source for high-caliber Acting with a capital A.It's hard to really explain what makes The Master work even though it lacks many traditional narrative elements that provide most other films with powerful drama, closure and immediate gratification.
During the course of the film Lancaster and Freddie bond somewhat with Lancaster progressing his latest works.The main performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are superb, and should warrant both of them Academy Award Nominations for Best Actor.
Like Welles, Anderson treats his characters with the same mixture of examination and empathy that leaves you questioning pre- conceptions and wondering what truly defines an individual.In post-war America Freddie Quell (played by Joaquin Phoenix) , a former soldier with an abnormal libido and a hobby of making near toxic alcohol, is wandering through life like an actor oblivious of his stage.
some scenes of the movie are fascinating and the actings are really good...i mean Joaquin Phoenix definitely deserves an Oscar for this role..and i always loved Philip Hoffman as an actor..this movie seeks no point and simply just like to share a mans life..
Yes, it's that kind of movie.I didn't care at all about Phoenix's character or Hoffman's, and despite the rave reviews, I think neither actor brought their A-game to this one.
Director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson, cast headed by Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams.
(His wife, well portrayed by Amy Adams, is more skeptical, but she keeps an eye on everyone throughout the film and at times seems to actually be the true master.) Hoffman is terrific, a great match for Phoenix.
And any point the film sought to make about people falling for the pontificating of con artists, was all too obvious.I have no doubt that many (if not most) of the meanings derived from the film by its most ardent supporters, are ideas that were never a part of P.T. Anderson's intent, or ever even occurred to him.Back in 1981 Roger Ebert pointed out that he had never seen a film with the level of energy possessed by Spielberg's clever, witty, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Unfortunately, I think that Raiders played a role in largely ruining American films because too many producers took its success to mean that people merely wanted to see constant action, even without the kind of inventiveness found in Spielberg's work.(even Vincent Canby heaped praise on the creativity on display in Raiders)IMHO, a major reason that some people will overrate a film like The Master is simply because it is the antithesis of the many loud action films that take up too many of America's theater screens.
Basically, I think that people who like this film have been conned in much the same way as were the boatload of characters in the film who were subjected to the ravings of Hoffman's character.I think that for admirers of The Master, P.T. Anderson should shoot a 3 hour film about a used car salesman sitting in a hospital waiting room with a wino, and the two of them offering their observations on the progress of a group of ants that take the entire movie's running time to traverse the length of the room.
I have little doubt that Mr Anderson's most devoted supporters upon being accorded the "privilege" of beingamong the first to view such a piece of art, would come up with raving appraisals like: "With his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson has raised American cinema to a new level of courageous and creative brilliance.".
Anderson really went out there shooting it like this, because it has been some time since it was last used.Joaquin Phoenix might just get an Oscar for his role and Anderson might not have targeted Scientology specifically (I do believe him, when he says it's a look on all things related to sects), but his movie does hit its targets nevertheless!
I also expected something super serious and forgot that while Paul Thomas Anderson likes his films to have a weight and purpose, he also always incorporates his sense of humour, whether dark or juvenile.On a technical level, The Master is outstanding yet subtle.
However, my favourite performance of the film was Philip Seymour Hoffman's charismatic turn as Lancaster Dodd, where he just completely solidifies himself as my all-time favourite actor.
Freddy quickly begins to embrace what Dodd has to offer him, and a relationship develops between Freddy and Dodd, and it is a relationship that will affect both of their lives forever.The Master marks Paul Thomas Anderson's return to the movie theater in five years, but it also marks the return of Joaquin Phoenix coming back from his shameless publicity stunt where he decided to abandon acting and pursue a career as a rapper.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of my favorite actors, is profoundly compelling as Lancaster Dodd, and the scenes between him and Phoenix display some of the finest acting known to man in this modern generation of filmmaking.The Master delivers in aspects that we would expect it to.
This is a subjective review, but objectively I also can't see why people wouldn't consider this a great film.Joaquin Phoenix has been one of my favourite actors for awhile, and while not always in a great movie, he always gives a stellar performance.
Not to scoff at Philip Seymour Hoffman who is more often than not brilliant; here, he shows off his chops as Lancaster Dodd (along with his wife Peggy played by the sweet Amy Adams, who also turns in a subtle yet masterful performance) who is an L.
When I think of classic Hollywood directors like John Huston (who influenced PTA greatly in this film, as well as his Treasure of the Sierra Madre did for There Will Be Blood; Anderson has said in many interviews he watched that film every night before bed while writing the script for TWBB just to have that feel about it), and more contemporary filmmakers like another favourite of mine, Martin Scorsese, I imagine that Paul Thomas Anderson will be regarded in quite the same way as they have been (and others) in years to come.
The way his films have such a beautifully constructed look to them is how you remember classic films; the attention to framing shots Anderson displays in The Master is very old Hollywood to me, and not just because of the setting, it just seems to have come from a time before the new wave cinematic approach.
There are a couple points where Anderson blurs the edges of reality, which has a lot of people debating, and I think the point of a great film is to keep something in the mind of the viewer long after it has finished playing; whether you simply don't know exactly what has happened and strive to understand, or you find something worth debating, a film has done its job if it lingers with you no matter in what vein.
It tells the story about an American man from Lynn, Massachusetts named Freddie Quell who after having served his time in the Second World War which has scarred him for life and been brought back to a civilization he no longer knows and is alienated by encounters a persuasive man on a sailing vessel called Alethia named Lancaster Dodd, also known as The Master.Distinctly and precisely directed by American filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the protagonist's point of view, draws a moving portrayal of a mentally afflicted war veteran who coincidentally befriends a leader of an enigmatic movement called The Cause.
A heartrending, incisive and epic character piece which gained, among numerous other awards, the Silver Lion for Best Director Paul Thomas Anderson and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman at the 69th Venice Film Festival in 2012..
While those contentious divagations aren't to be affiliated with any known theorems ad personam it's not hard to recognize them as somewhat ostentatious and ironical representations of authentic presumptions stated by some of the world's most-favorite cults.The Master reluctantly aspires to be a confounding, cryptic and awe-inspiring creation that's not to be taken too seriously, yet - at the same time - it brings to the table an infinite amount of complex testimonies that might manipulate the viewer just as well as The Cause beguiles the main character of the film.
Oscar worthy, yes, especially for Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd, the compelling leader of "The Cause," and for Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell, Hoffman's manic, neurotic disciple.
This polarity is probably caused by different expectations among movie goers and film critics — some are more concerned about plot and dramatic structures, while others are focused on character details and development.
In general; this film involves Freddie's encounters and relationship with a charlatan leader of fictitious cult "The Cause." Addressed only as "Master" by everyone for the first half of this film; we later learn that his real name is Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman).
Ron Hubbard's construction of his master-con: the cult of Scientology.But the random bits truly are random, and in some cases they are teeth-grindingly, eye-wateringly hard to endure: a song-and-dance bit with inexplicably naked women springs to mind - I don't care if it happens to be from a true anecdote (I've read 'Bare Faced Messiah', a great read, and I don't remember anything about nude song-and-dance parties, but I'm happy to be corrected), it just smacked violently of Hollywood's typically desperate "lets use non-sequiturs, that's arty, right?" approach.So, my conclusion: this film is a load of rubbish.In the end, The Master goes absolutely nowhere.
It's a beautifully shot film, directed by a man who has yet to commit a cinematic foul, and acted by two men who disappear into their characters so fully we forget we're watching a movie.
About two hours into this 2 hrs 20 min movie, I turned to my wife and said, "Do you have ANY IDEA where all this is going?" She shook her head, as did I- GREAT looking film, interesting music (tho' not nearly as good as the score for THERE WILL BE BLOOD), interesting performances (Amy Adams great, Hoffman interesting, Phoenix will have to break out of that "looks like he oughta be on death row" look)- The script?
I have been a fan of previous films directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, particularly "Magnolia" and "There Will Be Blood", so it pains me to have to say what a dreadful bore "The Master" is.
(The film didn't quite make back its money at the box office.) The performances of Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Hoffman, and the rest of the cast were outstanding, along with the dialog which seems perfectly suited to its characters.
By film's end, I didn't feel much more was revealed about Dodd and his Cause than when Quell first joined during the first third of the film.Although all the acting is right on the money including outstanding performances by Hoffman and Phoenix, and the script dialog was absolutely true the characters, the entire film was kind of dissatisfying.
By film's end, "The Master" was more like a character study than a story.
An intricately layered character study, a fascinating take on religious cult & an intriguing portrait of teacher-disciple relationship, Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master is an acquired taste that won't appeal to every viewer out there and while it benefits from the spectacular performances & technically stunning production, the entire narrative is also marred by its convoluted plot.The Master tells the story of Freddie Quell; a sex-obsessed alcoholic & World War II veteran who's having a hard time readjusting to his former life after the end of war until he stumbles upon Lancaster Dodd; the leader of a philosophical movement who accepts him as his protégé.
The two are instantly enamoured by each other & develop a special bond as time progresses.Written & directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film opens on a sublime note with some breathtaking imagery followed by excellent introduction of its characters who are instantly captivating but then around the halfway mark, it deviates from its path, heads into an unfamiliar territory, becomes increasingly complex & difficult to follow, and ends on a rather uninteresting note.While the cult preaching portion of the screenplay bears resemblance to Scientology, The Master is much more than that for it aims to capture the utter ridiculousness of every belief system out there & succeeds quite wonderfully.
Editing provides a very relaxed pace but is clumsy on few occasions while Jonny Greenwood's score is equally incoherent.Coming to the performances, The Master features a stunning cast in Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Amy Adams and the trio delivers some of the best works of their career in this one.
Adams does not have that much of a presence here but she does well with whatever screen time is provided to her while Hoffman is effortlessly charming in the role of Lancaster Dodd.However, it's Joaquin Phoenix who ends up stealing the show with a tour-de-force work as his portrait of the alcoholic drifter in post-war America is jaw-dropping, heartbreaking & haunting at the same time and whether it's Freddie Quell's posture, walking style, sickly appearance or enraged emotions, Phoenix manages to nail every single aspect of his character with breathtaking effectiveness.On an overall scale, The Master is an audacious piece of art-house cinema from one of the most gifted filmmakers of our time that does many things right but ultimately suffers due to its inefficient storytelling & lack of proper resolution.
The film follows Phoenix as an alcoholic war veteran who comes back from war and has no real direction, he works briefly as a photographer but his anger takes over and he can't hold a job.Being jobless he stumbles onto the boat of a con man Philip Seymour Hoffman and thus begins a relationship thats highly unusual and destructive.
Anderson gives him time, the scene is almost unbearably long but at its end, the film's story has been told in a nutshell.
"The Master" was 137 minutes spent listening to a crazy person walk & talk in circles.The only good thing this film had to offer was the talent of the actors but even that doesn't vindicate the horrible plot and GOD awful pace of the story..
A keep-looking-at-your-watch film.Save for two elements, the performance of Hoffman (as for Phoenix, anybody can play a drunk) and the musical score, this movie is a bore.
Like its title character, The Master remains aloof and a bit too clinical for its own good, but it is a fascinating film to behold.Written and masterfully directed by Paul Thomas Anderson ( Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights ) has essentially created a film about two different men who are one and the same being.
It is a fearless and unflinching job of Method acting and quite riveting to watch his no-holds-bar interpretation of a man in free-fall.Hoffman's and Phoenix's scenes together are quite frequent in this film and the main reason for seeing The Master.
Good or even great movies don't need them, you just want to.Other reviewers say that because it's on 70mm film it's a masterpiece...
Proves You Can Really Like a Movie That Mostly Baffles You. To say that Paul Thomas Anderson makes films that aren't for everyone is a major understatement.