There Will Be Blood

[j_garcia]

I had been wanting to see this for weeks, so I managed to free up some time and get the family to go. Nobody knew what it was besides me... I am a fan of Daniel Day Lewis, as I know his performances are typically excellent (not so impressed with Gangs of New York though...). It is a rather slow and long (2hrs 40min), but I very much enjoyed it. The story revolves around his character, Daniel Plainview, and his struggle to become a success in the oil industry. Set initially in 1898, his character is literally out on a prairie digging for oil by hand. As his success grows, so do the difficulties. The character is gritty and rough; basically a good man at heart, though he clearly has some issues that haunt his daily life. The performance is solid as expected, with all the little details that make the character utterly believable. I haven't seen No Country for Old Men, but I'd definitely have to say Day-Lewis has turned in a performance worthy of that Oscar nomination. There are some good performances put in by a few of the supporting characters as well. Overall, an excellent movie, though I would not say it is for everyone - it is a slow drama that gives you a lot to chew on. Though fairly long, it actually seemed to go by quickly to me, but I was enjoying it. I brought my son and his friend, both 15, and they both liked it as well surprisingly, though they did seem a bit bored at times. So for those who like that sort of non-mainstream type movie, give this one a look.

 

[Johnd]

Yeah, J, I've heard only good reviews of this movie (as with "No Country for Old Men"). Sometimes sitting through a movie with plot and character development void of special effects is still worthwhile.

 

[kenhoeve]

I am a big fan of Day-Lewis too. Can't wait to see this. The guy can just flat make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Not that I have any.

 

[dnice555]

Anyone seen it yet?

 

[highfihoney]

That kinda movie is right up my alley,one of the very few movies in the last decade that rely SOLEY on the acting of the star & the storyline to carry it through,no big crash em up scenes,no big explosions,no computer generated tough guy scenes,no nonsense, just kick a$$ acting,reminds me of some of the classics from the 1940's & 50's.

I watched the movie a few day's ago & i loved it,one things for sure you need to watch every second of the movie,if you get up to take & leak, when you get back you missed something important,no matter what part of the movie.

Great movie through & through.

 

[Djizasse]

The sonic atmosphere is simply perfect. The movie is very slow, but the sound and the visuals immersed me into it. After the movie ended I didn't knew what to think of it. I still don't know

 

[supervij]

"Basically a good man at heart", j? Did we see the same movie? I was horrified at some of the things he said/did in that flick. Been a while since I've seen it, but I do remember what he said to his son at the end and how he treated the preacher at the end. Yikes.

It did drag a bit for me as well, but holy crap, what a fiery performance from Daniel! Some impressive cinematography too. Great direction, but could have used a bit more editing to tighten it up here and there. Overall, a big ol' thumbs up from me.

cheers,
supervij

 

[j_garcia]

And also how he treated his brother... Sorry, but the preacher was not without fault or sin. That is where the impact of this movie lies IMHO, in these characters who are "normal" displaying all their flaws, for all intents and purposes. What I meant by that was, Plainview was not an "evil" man at heart, he was just a jerk.

 

[Halon451]

Excellent movie start to finish!! I have to agree with hifi - these days most Hollywood mainstream offerings rely on a healthy dose of big action scenes and crafty "one-liners" from characters that are about as thin as a sheet of paper. This movie has depth and gets a hold of you. There are a few like this out there, unfortunately, perhaps most people have too short of an attention span, so the big explosion movies (which are always great for LFE! ) are what draws them in - movies like NCFOM and this one just kind of fall off their radar. Not me, this is the stuff I dig, in a big way.

Great movie, excellent performance from all actors, great storyline!

 

[jostenmeat]

I can't remember the last time I saw a movie like this. We watched this last night for my larger monthly movie club. Everyone loved the pacing, except for perhaps my brother, who still enjoyed the movie. He particularly enjoyed the cultural aspects.

The pacing is what I would describe as a drawn out, but extremely palpable tension. I was NEVER bored. Certain "slow scenes" that could easily be taken for a detente of some sort were instead still extremely intense IMO due to the music (which I remember to be almsot all strings, with some intermittent percussion). The only track I recognized was the last mvmt of Brahm's Violin Concerto (a tour de force, btw, and I wonder who was performing). I think Brahms is a very apt choice, as the movie begins a year after his death, IIRC. Brahms is pretty much the great composer whose life arguably marks the end of the romantic period (with perhaps the notable exception of R Strauss who lived later, but he probably was just born in the wrong time...). While not the most important factor, the soundtrack is undeniably a real part of the film. Doesn't happen often, in fact, I don't know what film to compare it to.

I don't even know who was in the running for the Acadamy Award for male actors, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the easiest vote in years.

The PQ for this film (blu-ray) is superb. Top-notch.

Fantastic movie, with excellent PQ, with a soundtrack that becomes truly inseparable from the film, tremendous acting and casting, with an undeniably intense story. IMO of course.