There Will Be Blood

2007 has shaped up to be the best year for movies I can remember. Dramas, comedies, action films. We have seen more than our fair share of greatness across the board. But for months there was one movie I awaited more than any other. The movie year would not be complete until Paul Thomas Anderson had the final word. At last in the first week of 2008 the last great movie of 2007 arrived in Seattle. "There Will Be Blood."
We meet Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) in 1898. A man alone, tirelessly digging through the muck and the dirt in pursuit of oil, his drive is unquestionable. By 1911, Plainview is the best in the business. His son H.W. (played by unusually gifted child actor Dillon Freasier) is also his business partner, and he stands right at his father's side every step of the way. Plainview's visited one quiet evening by young Paul Sunday ("Little Miss Sunshine's" Paul Dano). Paul alerts Plainview to the untapped oil reserve underneath his family's land. No one else in the family is aware of the oil according to Paul, which is perfect for Plainview. He and H.W. arrive at the Sunday's the next day claiming to be quail hunters. It's not long before Plainview and son discover the oil which Paul had spoken of. They also meet the rest of the Sunday family, including Eli (also played by Paul Dano). Eli is a preacher and a faith healer, and soon he and Plainview are embroiled in an epic struggle for power.
To say more about the plot would be to give too much away. That Plainview descends into the depths of madness and greed does not come as a surprise. The way it unfolds however, is. It's a film both brutal and breathtaking, often at the same time. Day-Lewis delivers an exceptional performance and in spite of its theatricality he never succumbs to the temptation to overdo it (i.e., Denzel Washington in "Training Day"). Plainview is a larger than life figure who is provided with great depth by Day-Lewis and Anderson's script. The supporting cast members hold their own alongside Day-Lewis, particularly Freasier, Kevin J. O'Connor, and Dano. Day-Lewis is often vicious and intense in his scenes with Dano who proves more than equal to the task. It's the best performance that no one is talking about.
With his fifth film, I dare say that Paul Thomas Anderson is far and away the best of the young American auteurs. He's certainly the most versatile (his first four films being "Hard Eight," "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," and "Punch-Drunk Love"). This is his first film based upon a novel, but by all accounts Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" is little more than a blueprint for Anderson's story. Uninterested in socialist politics, Anderson is more concerned with characters, their stories, and their emotions. He conveys this through intelligent dialogue and a cinematic eye that is second to none. He and cinematographer Robert Elswit create striking shots that don't call attention to themselves, but rather, immerse us further into the world of Daniel Plainview. There's an amazing tracking shot that is far more impressive than the much heralded one in "Atonement" (which I will grant is incredible in its own right) simply because we're not thinking about how great the tracking shot is while we're watching it. We're just in it. Anderson also employs another great musical score, this time with a beautiful and evocative score from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. The combination of sight and sound is powerful and effecting even when we don't know why.
It's so easy to be disappointed when you wait a long time for something. I can happily say that after seemingly endless months of anticipation "There Will Be Blood" more than lived up to my wildest expectations. It's a cinematic masterpiece and one of the finest films in one of film's finest years.
"There Will Be Blood" is currently in limited release but it will definitely go wide in the weeks to come. In Seattle it is playing at the Guild 45th and Pacific Place. 10/10.

Here's the trailer just in case you need further persuasion.