There Will Be Blood - now with child/partner forum we call H.W.

Started by depooter, March 27, 2005, 02:24:56 PM

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Pubrick

Quote from: soixante on September 28, 2007, 02:38:00 AM
Anderson's usual mix of stunning landscape shots

who is she talking about?

and it's gonna hard to top gems like this for hype:

Quote from: soixante on September 28, 2007, 02:38:00 AM
Anderson's film is a true American saga - one that rivals "Giant" and "Citizen Kane" in our popular lore as origin stories about how we came to be the people we are.

that's about the greatest thing you could say about a movie besides making a cool sig out of its title.
under the paving stones.

MacGuffin

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere



*READ AT OWN RISK*

HE reader Dan Brown saw Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood at Austin's Fantastic Fest last night, and his first reaction is that Daniel Day Lewis will indeed get an Best Actor Oscar nomination. "The film really belongs to Lewis," he says. "He commands every frame he's in and is a pleasure to watch. It's a great character and he really sinks his teeth into it."

Which is an apt phrase given that Anderson, who attended the screening and sat for a q & a session afterwards, said "he was thinking of Dracula" when he wrote Lewis's character.

"The film is an awesome achievement," says Brown, "and a great step forward for Anderson. A lot of the criticism being directed at Wes Anderson lately does not apply to this Anderson, who is clearly moving in different directions with each new film but still has a strong visual style.

"I know the film won't be well received by everyone. The two and a half-hour running time might be off-putting for Middle American styrofoams but I was really into the movie right from the start." The most interesting sounding aspect, he adds, is that "the first 15 to 18 minutes of the film are dialogue-free."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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ElPandaRoyal

Quote from: Pubrick on September 28, 2007, 02:53:40 AM
Quote from: soixante on September 28, 2007, 02:38:00 AM
Anderson's usual mix of stunning landscape shots

who is she talking about?

This is a clear reference to Dirk Diggler's penis.

There will be some true excitement from now until the day I will finally get to see this.
Si

tpfkabi

the first 15 mins sound very Leone inspired - a la Once Upon a Time in the West - sound wise...and fly wise.
I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away.

modage

Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Stefen

Tall shoes to fill after those comparisons. Please live up to them!
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

grand theft sparrow


MacGuffin

Fantastic Fest Review: There Will Be Blood
Source: Scott Weinberg; Cinematical

*READ AT OWN BLA-BLA-BLA*

Oh sure, we've got Paul Thomas Anderson all figured out by now. After four very fine films -- Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love -- we've surely got the filmmaker's number by now: He makes strangely sweet and slyly witty ensemble pieces, right? So then what's he doing making an adaptation of Upton Sinclair's massive tome Oil!? A straight-faced period piece in which the most recognizable names are Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano? This is not what we've come to expect from good ol' Paul T. Anderson!

And I suppose that's what makes the director's There Will Be Blood such a stunning surprise. It's more than a "departure" for the director; it's a monumental display of "evolution" that'll wow the established fans and impress a helluva lot more new ones. This is a dark, compelling and effortlessly engrossing film, one bolstered by a lead performance that ranks among the very best of Lewis' impressive career.

The film will most often be compared to Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, so I guess I can get the ball rolling on that particular crutch -- but it's also an apt comparison. Which is not to say that There Will Be Blood will necessarily be dissected and revered 75 years from now, but the stories are certainly similar enough. Anderson's film opens with a long passage of dialog-free footage: A lone man hacks his way through a mine using a pick-ax and some dynamite. The year is 1898, and Daniel Planview is about to become an oil man. We witness the man's unwavering resolve as he pulls himself from a vertical shaft after breaking his leg in a fall -- and if you think that accomplishment displayed some tenacity ... just wait.

The 160-minute film covers Plainview's journey from rock-scratcher to oil tycoon as it runs over the course of 29 years. And while it might come as no surprise to learn that Plainview loses more of his soul with every package of professional success, the way in which this potentially predictable story unfolds is nothing short of hypnotic. Although our hero(?) struggles through numerous adversities and obstacles, his main combatant comes in the form of a young preacher named Eli Sunday. The young man seems to be well-aware of Plainview's rather mercenary approach to the oil game, so when the two butt heads over the oil beneath the Sundays' soil -- their battle of wills becomes some sort of epic clash: The rise of wealth and industry versus the sanctity of religion and faith.

Only ... the wealthy industrialist is kind of a crook -- and the preacher is sort of a schemer. So already we're dealing with conflicts, contradictions and a supremely satisfying sense of ambiguity. We should be rooting against the businessman, but we don't. And although it seems logical to side with the aspiring young preacher, there's something about the kid we just don't like. So what I'm basically saying is this: There Will Be Blood boasts one hell of a fantastic screenplay.

And gosh what a beautiful film to look at. The turn-of-the-century Texas landscape has rarely looked this, well, real, and Anderson paints his canvas with some masterful strokes. The establishing shot that introduces the central town is nothing short of stunning, and there are numerous sequences that simply dazzle the eye. Cinematographer Robert Elswit -- a frequent PTA collaborator -- should be preparing his "it's an honor just to be nominated" speech right now. And the musical score by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is more than a separate character in the film; the stunning score feels more like an aural Greek chorus.

Which brings us to the lead performance by the force of nature known as Daniel Day Lewis. One could cal his Plainview a cross between Charles Foster Kane and Al Swearengen: Driven to succeed, willing to cast aside anyone who becomes a liability, brutal yet human, undeniable nasty yet somehow worthy of some empathy. And Mr. Lewis delivers an anchor of a performance that's as multi-faceted as it is simply plain old entertaining. And I hate to overuse the Oscar predictions, but if there's a better 2007 lead performance ... I'd simply love to see it.

Easily one of the year's best films (so far), There Will Be Blood presents a side of Paul Thomas Anderson that we haven't really seen yet -- but it's proof positive that he's still one of the finest directors out there right now. You probably won't believe that this film came from the same man who directed (the awesome) Boogie Nights, and I mean that as a big compliment. It's just that different -- and just that damned good.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Pubrick

stop saying CITIZEN KANE!!!

i am going to have a heart attack.

Quote from: Cinematical
one of the year's best films (so far)

haha,.
under the paving stones.

Stefen

How spoilerish is Macs last post? Are we talking ugly lady turns out to be a cute dude, or Episode I flatulence?
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

MacGuffin

Fantastic Fest: There Will Be Blood
Source: Matt Dentler; indieWIRE

Paul Thomas Anderson's epic There Will Be Blood had its first public screening tonight as the Closing Night Film (and as a super secret screening) of Fantastic Fest 2007. Make no mistake, this is an amazing work of art. As one of the Fantastic Fest programmers, I've known this film was coming our way for a while now, so don't chalk this up to sheer surprise or excitement or bias: There Will Be Blood is one of the best films of the year. Daniel Day-Lewis is obviously a major component of it, but Anderson's poetic treatment of the material cannot be dismissed. Plus, in a pleasant turn of events, co-star Paul Dano delivers a delicious and demented performance that could earn some serious award consideration a few months from now. God Bless P.T. Anderson, for making his fifth consecutive slam dunk. I'm just so stunned and impressed and shaken by this film.

More on the film (and the final days of Fantastic Fest) tomorrow... time for some sleep...
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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grand theft sparrow

I can't keep reading this thread AND be expected to continue with my everyday life until this comes out. 

Stefen

I was kind of indifferent to this flick until yesterday when all these reports started coming out. It's starting to sound like the GOAT.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

RegularKarate

I just unloaded about a hundred imaginary bullets into my head after reading Dentler's blog this morning.

I almost bought a badge this year, but convinced myself that it wouldn't be worth it... I mean why THE FUCK would they play something like this?  And PT was in town!!!????  My dream of finally meeting him TOTALLY shot down.

If anyone needs me, I'll be at the bottom of the river.

Stefen

RK, were you at Butt-numb-athon when Magnolia played? At least I think it played at one of them before it's release.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.