there will be blood

this weekend i had a few hours to kill, so i checked what movies are showing around here, and it turned out that 'there will be blood' finally came to town! so off i went...

this movie is directed by paul thomas anderson, who directed a film a few years ago that i really love called 'magnolia'. having seen it and a few others of his i was very excited at the fact that he was releasing a movie at all. when i heard that it was going to star daniel day lewis i knew it was going to be something special. turns out, it is.

the story is a different one, its actually based on the novel 'oil!' by upton sinclair. it is a story that takes place at the turn of the century 1900s and follows a man who travels the country helping out in different towns setting up oil rigs. the film really interested me because it was a story i hadnt ever heard told before. daniel day lewis, who is always amazing, creates such a strong and unusual character that you are just drawn to him. his journey is a bumpy one, some of it is his fault, but much of it is out of his control. to see him deal with what ever comes can be chilling, and at times gruesome. the character has a bit of a social problem: he not only wants to succeed, but he also wont be happy until everyone else fails. the title is a bit mystifying throughout most of the film, but it becomes quite evident when all is said and done. the raw emotion and passion that is shown by the characters is so visceral that its somewhat startling and telling.

the film is a bit long and a bit slow, but it is always riveting.