Guest Review: The Master
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"A striking portrait of drifters and seekers in post World War II America, Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master unfolds the journey of a Naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman)." |
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson, Rated: R, 137 minutes
When I first saw the trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, I was as confused as I was mesmerized. Those two words – confused and mesmerized – more or less summarize my final reactions to this film, which garnered a fair bit of buzz for being, you guessed it – confusing and mesmerizing. Ultimately, I don’t know that the film is worth the performances of its two leads, but if I were in charge of an acting class, school or camp, I would make this film required viewing for those performances alone.
![]() Yes. They're that good. |
The Master is the kind of movie that does what it wants, and to hell with the rest of us. At times that approach really works and at others it really, really doesn't Unfortunately, there's more of the latter going on in this film. I was a little biased going into this movie, as I’m a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson’s works, namely his recent tour de force There Will Be Blood, wherein Daniel Day Lewis’ portrayal of Daniel Plainview earned him an Oscar for Best Actor and a place in the “Holy F*cking Sh*t That Was Acting” Hall of Fame. Anderson has a way of drawing character from actors in a way that's nearly unrivaled among other directors. It helps that he has the ability to make any scene intensely threatening, no matter how well lit or seemingly innocuous.
![]() The Master does this a lot. |
How to rave enough about Joaquin Phoenix's performance without wasting time…first, I think half the reason his portrayal of Freddie Quell is so compelling is because he himself is more than a little crazy. So I suppose the case could be made that the character of Freddie Quell is less a creation and more a “I’m being myself on screen” sort of situation, but I honestly can’t chalk it up to that. Sure, Phoenix has been a little kooky as of late, but nothing like this. Freddie Quell is a simian, erratic, frightening individual – as prone to explosions of violence as he is to anything else.
![]() "I will rip out your teeth." |
![]() "I know I left my ability to do bad acting out here somewhere." |
![]() This isn't Amy Adams. This is her doppelganger (and friends) watching The Master. |
The soundtrack, too, was utterly forgettable, as were most of the scenes in the middle and in the end. I found myself glancing at my watch on more than one occasion while watching this flick (something few artists want to hear) and that pained me. Like I said, I’m an enormous fan of Paul Thomas Anderson, but this just wasn't his best work. It was even more disappointing because it was built around such truly astonishing performances. It felt like there should have been more meat around the bone. A lot more meat. There never was, however, and in the end I walked away feeling like I knew less about the film than I did when I went in. While clearly in the same vein as There Will Be Blood, this film just didn't rise up to the standard.
![]() Still drinkin' the Milkshake. |
Better late than never.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Go for the performances. Sit in awe. Get confused. Watch the Avengers to restore balance to the Cinematic Force.
OSCAR POSSIBILITIES:
Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Supporting Actress - Amy Adams
Overall Score: 8/10

Labels: 2012, amy adams, guest review, joaquin phoenix, paul thomas anderson, philip seymour hoffman, ries, the master
2 Comments:
I came out of this film thinking, "You know, I'm sure that there were many deeper metaphors that I just haven't picked up on here. Surely I'll figure out what that was about if I give it some time to sink in." Well I have had some time, and I haven't had any sudden revelations. Loved the hell out of the acting though.
This was one of those movies that I finished and kept thinking "I know that was a good movie. I know it was. ... wasn't it?"
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