There Will Be Blood (2007)

Have you ever seen a movie that just completely blows you away and you do not even realize it until after? Yeah, this is what There Will Be Blood was for me. I left the theater with a taste in my mouth that said, "Good film" and as i was driving home, thinking about it, i realized how brilliant it really was.

Daniel Day Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, an oil prospector searching for the next big piece of land he can drill oil into. His performance in this movie is what sold me the most. He plays an extremely believable character from that era. From his accent, to the dirtiness in his face, he shows us that he has perfected his craft. Paul Dano who you might remember as Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine and Klitz in The Girl Next Door plays a duel roll in this film. This is where some debate comes in, he plays Paul who originally seeks out Daniel about the land his father owns to give him a tip and Eli who is at the land and is known as a prophet within the town that they live in. Even though they never share a scene, it seems that was Eli really Paul? Theres a scene where Eli knocks his father down and says "Paul is the one who seeked him out! My stupid brother". But later on in the film, you learn that Eli is a maniacal fuck who has been lying to the people. So to me, its still up in the air.

The score is excellent in this film, it fits the mood very well and is very original, and like nothing you've ever heard before. The dialog wasn't spectacular, hence the minus one point in the score, there were some cheesy delivery's of the lines and some lines that should not have been in this film, it really took you out of the mood of the film i thought. Besides the point, its still a well written and well crafted film. Paul Thomas Anderson showed us some very beautiful shots and set the mood well. I personally am not a fan of his earlier work, like Magnolia, Boogie Nights and especially Punch Drunk Love, but this movie has changed my mind about him. He did everything absolutely right. One other gripe i had was that it felt like there was not enough substance in this movie to justify the 2 hours and 38 minute run time. Do not get me wrong, there was substance and a plot there, but it could have been done in a shorter amount of time.

I can see There Will Be Blood sweeping the oscars this year and i would love to see Daniel Day Lewis receive an oscar for his performance in this film, the ending monologue sequence alone is worth the price of admission to this movie.

"I'm Finished"

9/10