THERE WILL BE BLOOD

[Story]

Officially penning an adaptation for the first time, Anderson turns out to have been inspired very loosely indeed by his source, Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel "Oil!" Pic betrays little of the tome's overview and virtually none of socialist Sinclair's muckraking instincts. Instead, it is more interested in language, in the twinned aspects of industry and religion on the landscape of American progress and, above all, in creating an obsessive, almost microscopically observed study of an extreme sociopath who determinedly destroys his ties to other human beings.
http://www.variety.com/VE1117935281.html

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2Ae2SIXac

www.ThereWillBeBlood.com

 

[imoldfashioned]

I'm looking forward to this one--I really like Paul Thomas Anderson's work and this seems like such a departure for him. Daniel Day Lewis is pretty dependable but I think I'm most excited about seeing what Paul Dano can do, he's one of my favorite young actors.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

"I drink your milkshake!"

*Possible SPOILERS*

My friend Dexter & I went to an advance screening of There Will Be Blood last nite. This film begins in 1898 and carries us to the 1920s. There Will Be Blood follows oil driller Daniel Plainview who started as a prospector and built his fortune in oil. That is not enough for greedy Plainview and when he is informed by the estranged Sunday brother, Paul, he heads toward the motherload. Religious zealot, Eli Sunday and Plainview clash instantly and their animosity toward one another make for some rather entertaining scenes and one shocking finale. During the course of his drilling in Little Boston, Daniel's adopted son HW goes deaf during the first derrick accident which lends a pretty spectacular oil fire. Daniel's "brother from another mother" shows up (yes he actually says that) and having difficulty adjusting to his hearing loss HW sets the cabin on fire. This incident causes Daniel to send HW away. Greed and pride continue to engulf Daniel Plainview and he comes under some fire for abandoning his son. The father/son reunion would have been heartwarming if we believed Daniel was doing it for anything other than show. The passage of time has made Daniel a very wealthy man but it hasn't made him a kind man, a decent man nor a flexible man. When grown up HW married to Mary (her 1920s wedding gown was gasp worthy) tells his father he wants to drill down in Mexico, Daniel writes him off as now only competition telling him the truth about his orphan childhood. It's difficult to watch. In the end Daniel confronts the uber religious, Eli and no characters are any better for it.
I must say the acting in this film is amazing. Both Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano bring two utterly unlikable characters to life and make you hate them. I think the dangers of the oil drilling business are portrayed accurately here. There were times when both Dex & I audibly gasped. In every aspect Daniel Day Lewis IS Daniel Plainview from his dignified accent to his mannerisms. This man is a phenomenal actor and I really hope he isn't overlooked. The story is very character driven. There isn't much action or dialogue; it mainly focuses on the characters. This quote by Daniel himself probably best describes Plainview:
"I have a competition in me; I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people. There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking. I've built up my hatreds over the years little by little. I see the worst in people. I don't need to look past seeing them to get all I need. I want to earn enough money I can get away from everyone."
I liked this flick but Dexter didn't. It is very different from anything out now. I'll let you decide whether or not you want to see it.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

This film is truly amazing--I saw it last night at the Arclight in LA, and was bowled over. Paul Dano is exceptional, and Daniel Day Lewis...well, he goes far beyond any expectations, trust me. It's one of those movies that keep you thinking beyond leaving the theater into the next morning...Go see it! :eusa_clap

 

[imoldfashioned]

Possible Spoilers:

I saw this movie tonight and I honestly don't know what to say about it. For me it was simultaneously wonderful and awful, it's very hard to explain.

I thought the score was outstanding--original and it added so much to the film. Paul Dano's performance was completely mesmerizing. The cinematography was great and I thought it was an interesting choice to let debris show on the camera lens at several points during the film--pointing up the fact that, yes, you are seeing this through a camera, this isn't real. I thought Daniel Day Lewis was over the top but it fit the character--it drove me nuts that he sounded like he was channelling John Huston with his voice though. I can't imagine Daniel Day Lewis getting Best Actor for this; he was good but I've seen better performances this year. I enjoyed the black humor that was interjected at various intervals.

It was a Paul Thomas Anderson film, so I was prepared for strangeness but, as usual, his direction was strong. I think the main thing that bothered me was the great leaps in time which deprived the viewer of seeing character development. The characters changed but you didn't know how or why--you could infer it but I wanted to be shown. And the ending was really bizarre--was that last line a joke? It is really long--nearly 3 hours--which I thought would bother me but it really didn't.

I'm glad I saw it but I can't say I liked it.

 

[imoldfashioned]

For those who have seen this movie you may enjoy this link: http://idrinkyourmilkshake.com/

 

[Pink Dahlia]

For those who have seen this movie you may enjoy this link: http://idrinkyourmilkshake.com/

lol lol lol