The fourth notch in my "written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson" bedpost, this one is perhaps closest in nature to Magnolia, sporting that familiar mélange of discomfort and attraction. Daniel-Day Lewis plays a Daniel Plainview, slightly scary yet strangely endearing, and wholly embodies the self-proclaimed "oil man". With a virtually completely male cast, and not much eye candy, this character-driven story avoids the additional fluff of a romantic subplot. The score is haunting, chilling and a series of other adjectives which will never do it justice. Marvelous from the dialogue-less (yet largely un-"bloody") 15-minute opening right up to the last spotting of blood. A must see? Perhaps. This is a movie that feels long and is long. Concession of choice? A milkshake is certainly in order.
Surreptitious speech:
"One night, I'm gonna come inside your house, wherever you're sleeping, and I'm gonna cut your throat."
"Why are you acting insane and threatening to cut my throat?"
Paul Thomas Anderson pondered it, made it fiery, named it bloody, Daniel Day-Lewis & Paul Dano exchanged words and Jonny Greenwood's tunes chilled us to the bone.
