A powerful performance, worth having someone drink your milkshake.

Two great actors fill the screen and make this film enjoyable for all three hours.



I wasn’t sure why I had such respect for Daniel Day Lewis. I couldn’t get into My Left Foot a few years ago. I really didn’t like Gangs of New York when I rented it. But I knew that this Oscar winning actor had some acting chops. This last weekend my opinion was given solid evidence as I enjoyed There Will Be Blood for a second time. Lewis’ performance fills an empty landscape and entertains every minute of this lengthy film. I found his portrayal of Daniel Plainview to be so enjoyable. I could see him process his circumstances and experience pain.

This movie by Paul Thomas Anderson felt like Stanley Kubrick could have directed it. The first 15 minutes are without dialogue and it has the camera just sitting on situations. It was great to see a period piece from Anderson that is not based on the San Fernando Valley. He really let the actors do their job and didn’t rely on words to communicate the message. Paul Dano plays two roles, primarily that of Eli Sunday, the disingenuous preacher. This is the older brother from Little Miss Sunshine, and in this film he shows his range and charisma.

Multiple people have asked me if the statements made about religion offended me. It is such an easy response, not at all. I don’t think the film slams religion; I think it shows the emptiness of greed. It shows the greed of two men, and how one uses oil and the other uses God to gain power and money. I loved to see greed come to fruition. I also loved the soundtrack of this film, it really drives the intensity and really made me feel the competition that consumes Plainview.

So, if you are at Blockbuster and want a light movie to enjoy on a weekend, and have this DVD in one hand and Click in the other, just watch Click. This is not your movie tonight. (By the way, Click, really?!?) But if you want to be wrapped up in an epic then grab There Will Be Blood. In my opinion it doesn’t disappoint and is a masters workshop in acting and cinematography.