I've been a fan of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson since his directorial debut Hard Eight. Almost everyone has seen his film Boogie Nights and let's not forget the frog-raining ensemble piece Magnolia.I also remember when people flocked in droves to see what they thought was going to be another Adam Sandler fart comedy in Punch-Drunk Love. Instead, they left the theater bemused and scratching their heads like a gorilla who just ate poop.
Being a film snob, I saw this modern-day love story three separate times. It ranks up there with Amelie' as one of my all-time favorite relationship movies behind Bitter Moon.
That said, there were little murmurs and rumors swirling around on various movie web sites that PT Anderson was on the cusp of directing a new project.
As it turns out, it's finished and it's called There Will Be Blood.
Click here to check out the trailer.
Based on the book Oil! by Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), There Will Be Blood is about the rise (and fall?) of a miner (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) who toils and works his hands to the bone until he eventually strikes it rich in the form of oil (or is it OIL!). And that is the starting point of his journey to wealth and his eventual descent into obsession, and a deadly degree of greed.
Anderson has a way of bringing out the best in actors. I thought he did a phenomenal job with Sandler in Punch Drunk Love not to mention the cast of Boogie Nights in particular William Macy, Marky Mark and Burt Reynolds. And lets not forget the cast of Magnolia, most importantly Tom Cruise, who - in my opinion - was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as fuck-guru Frank TJ Mackey (I just love that name).
Although his character isn't very nice, I hear Daniel Day Lewis does a phenomenal job as the greedy oil baron. I guess it's up there with his acting chops in My Left Foot and Gangs of New York.
Comparisons to Terrence Malick's opuses (or is it opi?) Days of Heaven and Badlands not to mention Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and, of course one of the finest movies about greed, Treasure of Sierra Madre are already being made about this flick.
Harry Knowles of Aint It Cool News fame basically pulled out his cock and spewed his jism all over this film - not to mention Daniel Day Lewis's face - in the following review... click here to read it for yourself .
I'm not even going to speculate what types of kudos this picture will earn come awards season, but everyone that has seen it has already already stated that it should win a Best Picture Academy Award. Myself? Without seeing Sean Penn's Into the Wild not to mention George Clooney's Michael Clayton and the Ben Affleck-directed Gone Baby Gone, I think it's a little too early to start screaming that - but the reviews and early buzz definitely has me intrigued.
I'm sure the movie will not sit with a lot of people who like their editing M-tv/Action-packed. But if you like old-school movies - and by old school, I mean before Charlies Angels 2, before rapid-speed editing and when characters, acting and plot really mattered in a movie - then I would go check this flick out.
In addition to Into the Wild and popcorn fare such as I Am Legend and The Mist, I will be trying to get a babysitter on December 26 to check this movie out.
How about you? Why not send a message to Hollywood and go and see this film, will ya? Let's give Paul Thomas Anderson some cash so he can go out and make another great film.
And lets not forget PT Anderson also banged Fiona Apple for quite some time, which is 'very nice' indeed.
What Do You Think, Oh Wise One Reader of This Blog?
4 comments:
Daniel Day-Lewis could possibly be the most intense actor doing this kind of work. The only thing holding him back is the number of films he actually does (maybe one or two every five years). Plus, not enough people go see his movies. Entertainment Weekly put out an article with Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe called "Clash of the Titans" refering to the two powerhouse leads in 'American Gangster'. They should put out an article on Daniel Day-Lewis called "Lord of the Rings".
Well said Anonymous. I agree as well. In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot, Gangs of New York, Last of the Mohicans & The Crucible are some of my favorite performances. I'm hearing good things about Eversmile, New York as well. The crazy thing is that he's only done 10 movies since 1989.
'Eversmile, New Jersey'? I never saw it, but I think he plays a dentist in that one. It's from 1990 or 89. That's pretty old school.
Yep, a creative director at a previous job said that Eversmile was one of his favorite movies of all time. In reading reviews, I'm hearing sand thinking comparisons to Motorcycle Diaries.
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