"The Master" Review

"The Master"

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rami Malek, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons

 

RATING

7/10

Yeah, yeah... I know my one-a-day review challenge is probably a complete failure by now. I may have underestimated how busy I thought I was gonna be these past Christmas days. So I guess I'll still remain consistent in my review process, and I've got a special one today... Paul Thomas Anderson's anticipated drama, "The Master". It's no secret that I love P.T. Anderson's films. "There Will Be Blood" is a masterpiece, "Magnolia" and "Boogie Nights" are superb ensemble pieces, and "Punch-Drunk Love" is a sweet, unconventional take on the romance genre. Now, with "The Master", I was really looking forward to it because I hoped it would bring the same spark of genius from his previous films. And I left with my jaw dropped. That's a good and bad thing over here.

 

"The Master" tells the story of Freddie Quell, a broken and troubled WWII veteran who lives his life aimlessly and carelessly. After the love of his life leaves for another city, Freddie finds himself alone in the cold world, spiralling down into insanity. However, when he boards a boat owned by Lancaster Dodd, the eccentric leader of a new religion/cult in development, Freddie finds his world take a turn into the strange... That's putting it lightly.

 

Firstly, the technical work in this film is a stroke of genius. P.T. Anderson throws himself into his craft, and perfects every single frame and shot so that the actors have the greatest emotional landings in their lines. He is one of the best directors working today, and this film is a testiment to how devoted and involved he truly is in his projects. Then we have the performances... Holy shit. Everyone in this movie brings a storm of acting abilities, including Joaquin Phoenix, who quite possibly has the best performance I've seen all year. His plays his role as Freddie Quell, the mentally unstable and sexually starving war veteran with such conviction. He drowns himself in the role to the point where you can't even tell its Phoenix, and you believe Freddie Quell to be the real deal. It's unbelievably brilliant. Also in the supporting role is Philip Seymour Hoffman as the cult leader, Lancaster Dodd. His performance is also damn fantastic, and when Phoenix and Hoffman collide in their scenes, it's like an epic battle of acting talent. There's so much fire and passion in their performances, it's like an actors wet dream to witness these guys at work. True masters of their craft. Now, on to the subject everybody will be talking about when they see this, or for those who haven't, will want to know: yes, it's about the beginnings of scientology. And is it as engrossing as you imagined? Well...

 

The film is skillfully made and mindblowingly acted, but the script is where the film takes a bit of a slump. It's a film that is not afraid to get you completely absorbed in the plot, but also completely lost. It's a rare combination that it pulls off like a master (okay, bad pun...). But in that, it loses focus one too many times and will make you disoriented and downright confused. This may have been the first film to ever make me sit there after the credits rolled and just contemplate in my head what the hell I just watched. I mean, I think I understood it... or at least the bulk of it... but some pieces didn't fit together... or maybe it did, but I was too lost to notice... I don't know what the hell just happened... Yeah, I think I about summed up everyone's initial thoughts. So if you're looking for something that will engage you and lose you simultaneously, let "The Master" be your guide (double pun, don't even ask).

 

"The Master" may not rank among the best films of 2012, but it's certainly the best acted and most challenging all year. It will test your patience and endurance for dramas with diabolical undertones and twisted mentality. It's an Oscar-calibur piece of work that fires on all cylinders, and Joaquin Phoenix delivers the best performance of the year (I have not witnessed Day-Lewis in "Lincoln" yet, so I will just set a bar here). For fans of P.T. Anderson, this may be a dream come true. For people who aren't fans, be prepared to drip saliva from the corner of your mouth with your brain in meltdown.