Well, I finally saw it. I felt like I should, it being nominated for so many rewards and stuff.
It was an interesting movie to watch. I couldn't stop watching Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview, but his character is completely unlikable. Which was sort of the point.
To me, the movie was almost great. There was just something missing. Redemption, maybe? The movie is the opposite of what we normally get in storytelling. The two main characters spiral downward, flirting with redemption but ultimately rejecting it. A third main character manages to pull himself from the spiral, a welcome relief.
But the acting is superb. Daniel Day Lewis is awesome. The cinematography is beautiful. And I love that so much happens off screen. This film, for the most part, focuses completely and utterly on one self-absorbed man. And there are a number of scenes that reinforce that powerfully -- they focus on that one man. Things are happening around him, but the camera is on him.
All told, I recommend the movie if you want a character study of a corruption and ambition featuring an incredible actor.
I saw it in the theater. (Which was a weird experience itself.) It's now available on DVD.
Oh, it also seems to have spawned into some sort of meme on Youtube and the interweb, based around the "milkshake" line from the film. Most are lame. Really lame. However, Saturday Night Live did a really funny sketch featuring the characters from There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men. And Juno. If you plan on seeing the movie, I recommend staying away from those as much as you can until after you've seen it. If you don't plan on seeing it, or alreay have . . . click below:
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