Oil Is Thicker Than Blood

There Will Be Blood is an example of a film that lets you escape into the world that the filmmaker has created, and the characters are our guides throughout that world.  For me personally, this film was released at a time when I started to get serious about my love of film.  This film is a modern American classic on the grandest of scales.

There Will Be Blood is the story of a turn-of-the-century oil tycoon, and his slow descent into madness.  One of the major reasons why this film is so brilliant is because the structure of the narrative is extremely character-driven in a deliberate way.  There is a reason why there are certain plot holes in the film: it is because Daniel Plainviews' (Daniel Day-Lewis) greed and obsession is more important.  This is Plainviews' story, which is exactly the way he would want it.  There Will Be Blood has such a carefully crafted screenplay, and when you have the greatest actor of our time breathing life into the dialogue, it is absolutely unforgettable.

Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview.  What makes Plainview such a great, and ultimately unlikable, character is that he actually starts out as a decent human being who wants success so he can provide for his family.  Then, you start to see that he is actually full of anger and hatred that is ultimately fueled by greed.  The scene where Plainview admits his own faults to his "brother" makes you realize that you are not going to be a fan of him by the end of this film.  Only "Mr. Method" himself, Daniel Day-Lewis, could have developed this character in the way he was meant to be.  Plainview is ruthless, peaceful, aggressive, and calm.  Day-Lewis haunts you in every frame, and gives one of the best performances in the history of film.

Paul Thomas Anderson is the director of There Will Be Blood.  I mentioned earlier that this film lets you escape into the world that has been created, and it is Andersons' masterful directing that lets you do this.  We see sweeping shots of the vast landscape (before and after Plainview has built his oil empire), and we also are shown in great detail how the oil wells work.   I also love the final "I drink your milkshake" scene at the end because, even in a generic two-shot, Anderson shows that while Plainview has completely gone down the well of madness (pun intended), he still has as much power over everyone else as he did at the beginning of his career.  I also want to point out that there is no dialogue in the film for the first fifteen minutes.  Only a director like Paul Thomas Anderson could make a film like that so interesting to watch, and There Will Be Blood is truly a masterpiece.

There Will Be Blood is easily one of the best films in the past decade.  This film represents what happens when you get the right actor and the right director involved in a project.  If you can handle long films, I promise you that There Will Be Blood is completely worth it.

Much Love For Adam Sandler

I am not a fan of Adam Sandler’s comedy in recent years.  His dramatic work, on the other hand, is something that I have always been a fan of.  He has the potential to be an Oscar-caliber actor, and that is one of the reasons I was very excited to watch Punch-Drunk Love.

Punch-Drunk Love is the epic story of a socially awkward man who finally finds love in his life.  I absolutely loved this movie.  The idea of a socially awkward person finding acceptance and love in their life makes for very heartfelt storytelling.  It is also quite emotional when Barry Egan’s (Adam Sandler) private life, which involves a phone-sex company, impacts the both of them.  He has to clean up his personal issues while at the same time protect the woman he loves, and this is very emotional to watch because of the kind of person he is.

Adam Sandler plays Barry Egan who, as I stated before, is very socially awkward as well as being depressed and self-deprecating.  Sandler is brilliant in the role, right down to the awkward physical movements and yelling when he is uncomfortable.  Seeing Adam Sandler in this role reminds you that sometimes comedic actors can turn in great dramatic performances. 

Emily Watson plays Lena Leonard.  The thing that I love about her character is that she and Barry meet under the most awkward of situations, and yet she still asks him out on a date.  She is fascinated by him, even though he seems like such a weird individual.  She understands the kind of person that Barry is, but that does not matter.  She will be by his side no matter what.

Paul Thomas Anderson brilliantly directs this movie.  The way he frames his shots is a direct reflection of the kind of person Barry is, which I love.  One of my favorite moments in the film is when Barry goes to visit Emily while she is out of the country.  The moment he calls her, the light on the phone booth turns on because it is getting dark outside.  It is moments like these that make good films.

Punch-Drunk Love is so good, it made me giggle like the film nerd I am.  The story is great, the cast is great, and it is directed to perfection.  Two thumbs way, way up!!!