A cult is forming around the new
film by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood), and
followers are already calling it an Oscar contender and one of the year’s best
films. But I’m not a believer.
The Master stars a fiery
Joaquin Phoenix as a troubled war veteran and a flawless Philip Seymour Hoffman
as a charismatic leader of a movement clearly inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, the
founder of Scientology.
Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, this movie never fully
explores the man behind Scientology, choosing to focus on themes of masculinity
and the extremes of human behavior. Maybe. Or perhaps it was a piece about ego.
Or maybe it was all just a bromance. I forget after all the dream sequences.
The first half of the movie will
pull most viewers in, but ultimately the story is too elusive and too ambiguous
to satisfy.
Simply put: There Will Be
Confusion.
Award potential: This
film may ultimately be remembered for its two Oscar caliber performances. Bet on Joaquin Phoenix for his memorable character. Expect Philip Seymour Hoffman too.
Contender for Best
Picture, Best Director, Best Screenwriting, Best Original Score and more, but I expect that full
list will lose momentum by February.
The ten buck review: Perhaps in another life. Not worth ten bucks