Viewed in
2007
Premise
Daniel Day-Lewis plays a cunning oilman in a Paul T Anderson movie. Need I say more?
Who should watch
Those in the mood for a lengthy, slightly off-kilter, character-driven epic.
Thoughts
The great Daniel Day-Lewis is like the band Nine Inch Nails, he reappears every blue moon, but when he does his performance is a sight to behold. His blend of intensity and broken humanity had me glued to the screen. Given the length and scope of the film and his presence, I felt Day-Lewis was the best actor of 2007.
As for the rest of the film, it was top notch. The writing, directing and cinematography gave me a sense of a great Western without guns. It was a world of man without women, against the harsh lifeless wilderness without law and order.
The trailers marketed the rivalry between Day-Lewis and Paul Dano's characters. What it didn't mention was the dynamic between Lewis's character and his son. I really enjoyed the conflicts between the two.
While Day-Lewis was perfect, the film was not. The rivalry between him and Dano (from 'Little Miss Sunshine') was the most off-kilter part of the film. There were some great moments of tension between them, but there were also some scenes in which I laughed when I wasn't supposed to and vice versa.
I would also agree that the music by Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) sometimes stuck out like a sore thumb. 2007 was a bad year for film scoring, three of the Oscar contenders had scores called too much attention to itself (this, 'Atonement', and 'Juno').
Based on Anderson's weird style and Day-Lewis' absolutely enthralling performance, this was one of the best films of the year.
What I would change
A more subtle score.
