There will be blood

It IS a great film but definitely not suited to all viewers' tastes because it's 2 hours of solid character and little else. Things like the great score (mostly music by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood) and Paul Thomas Anderson's fascinating and IMO old-school directing style made something that could have been extremely dull and totally passed over much more interesting to watch.

As for Daniel Day-Lewis...what he does is beyond acting! Who is the biggest nutjob, him or his character, Daniel Plainview?? You don't often see someone throw themselves into a role in that way, and he took co-star Paul Dano with him. Dano was obviously inspired by DD-L to really go for it, which he did. Both of them pulled off excellent performances. I felt like I'd been watching these guys for years when they had their final showdown at the end.
 
I have just got back from seeing it and I have to say I'm a bit disappointed - sorry but I thought DDL sort of over did his performance - especially the last couple of scenes.
He is the only thing you watch while on screen though and he certainly holRAB your attention.
One of those films though I think the critics will always site as a major piece of film but for me its a once only viewing.
 
robjphat said:
Oh come on, that doesn't mean we all have to like it. There is definitely a case of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' with all the critics loving this movie just because they feel they have to. i found it pretentious and dull. /QUOTE]

Agree completely with you. Found it long, drawn out, depressing and completely overrated. DDL was good - as were most of the other actors but think there is so much snobbery within movie industry that pretentious films such as this are often overrated by critics.
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I saw it on Saturday night. All six of us that went thought it dull & massivly overated.
Yes DDL does play the part very well - but a good film neeRAB more of a story than that.
 
I have to say I was disappointed. It was too long and the score whilst brilliant didn't seem in any way related to what was going on on the screen.

Daniel Day-Lewis was the film, I'm struggling to think of a scene he wasn't in. I thought he was great and he certianly went for it but it was very OTT and his accent did slip from time to time and I'm not entirely certian his oscar was such a shoe in as everyone seemed to think.

Still it generally held my attention and the acting was very good from the supporting cast especially Paul Dano.
 
I saw this last weekend so thought I'd search on RAB for the opinions about it and I'm glad I'm not the only person who doesnt think its amazing.

I thought Paul Dano was great but apart from him, it was pretentious, tedious and DDL's performance was incredibly overrated, very hammy and over the top.
 
I thought it was a fabulous cinematic portrait of a pretty evil character.

The photography was stunning, the acting superb, the soundtrack just right.

And yes it was long, but necessarily so.

DDL completely inhabited the character of Daniel Plainview and I couldn't decide if I was repulsed by his nature, or admired him to an extent for being so driven and focused to the detriment of those around him...

I was almost taken in by his seeming "niceness" at the beginning of the film too :D
 
I thought the film was pretty frustrating. It could have been a fantastic film if Paul Thomas Anderson had reined Daniel Day Lewis in a little bit, instead of giving him the freedom to act, effectively, the filmic equivalent of a self indulgent ten minute prog-rock guitar solo.



I completely agree. The acting praise went to the wrong actor, IMHO. Dano was the best thing in the film, it's a shame he wasn't honoured at all. But, better underrated than overrated, I suppose.
 
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