I love movies, though I don't get to see them as first-run at the theaters much any more. When I do though, I usually make sure it's a film with actors whose work I respect, am entertained by, and more importantly, inspired by. So when I saw the trailer for There Will Be Blood (TWBB) with Daniel Day Lewis, I earmarked it for a trip to the show. At nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes, I eschewed all beverages and found my seat in the middle of the Star Theater in Southfield. The movie absolutely flew by, and Daniel Day's initials once again could stand for Doesn't Disappoint. The man is simply one of those actors who so immerses himself in character that you feel like a voyeur to the world he lives in at that moment. And I think he makes everyone around him even better than they are. The score by Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead) is reminiscent of John Ford, John Huston (Treasure of the Sierra Madres) and Sergio Leone movies (Spag Westerns like The man with no name trilogy, Once Upon A Time in the West, etc) where Hugo Montenegro's musical hand weighed heavily in the essence of the film. The cinematography borrows the feel of John Ford and Leone with vast landscapes and asymmetrical the film's make up and composition. There is not one false note in this film, and I can't stop thinking about it. You absolutely will be left waiting for DDL's Daniel Plainview to explode at any moment. Plaiview's not a likeable man, but he infuses the character with a driven quality that is nuanced and replete with much under-the-surface rage. I've read reviews where they claim he's bordering on bombastic, and I'm sure these critics know way more than I do about the history of film, but this guy is the real deal. He makes Brando seem as method as Ben Affleck.There's a persistent rumor that Paul Dano (playing a dual role as Paul & Eli Sunday) was a replacement for a more famous actor who couldn't take the intensity of DDL. I don't know if it's true or not, but Dano is wonderful in the role, a fine 180 in his portrayal to the bully of DDL's Daniel Plainview. I can't wait to buy the DVD of this and watch all the behind the scenes extras. Try to catch TWBB on a big screen without any distractions. It's a tremendous film.
NOTE: A much more professional, albeit at times like most critics' work, PERSNICKETY review can be read by going here:
This is a review by David Ansen of Newsweek. He was supposedly on-set and has a lot of inside info. Worth reading.
2 comments:
avid went to see it a week ago and reported to me that DDL "chewed the scenery" throughout. He did not find it nuancedat all, and that was his main complaint. But it's interesting howdifferent people have completely opposing responses to a movie
or a book, isn't it?
As for male actors, we watched "Spellbound" on Sunday morning,and that Gregory Peck was fabulous! I never was a Clarke Gablegirl. Joseph Cotten, though--he was wonderful. Nowadays my
favorites are Denzel Washington and Richard Gere, both of whomjust get better as they get older.
Say, do I sound ANCIENT????
Pamela,
For some reason, I'm not being alerted when you post me a comment, which I find odd. "Chewed the scenery"? I guess I'll have to agree to disagree. I Can't believe David had such a differing view of the movie. It's as if we watched two different films. Denzel's among one of the best, and I still think his performance in Training Day is unappreciated. Richard Gere has done some great work, too. Unfaithful of late, I found very good. My favorite young actor just passed away, that is Heath Ledger. Tragic. Love Johnny Depp, too. You don't sound ancient. Joseph Cotten was a great actor. Hope you're doing great. Joe
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