The Master
 

http://tschabarum.files.wordpress.co...ster.jpg?w=584

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Plot: A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader.

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Runtime: 137 minutes

I've already purchased tickets to see it at the Cinerama Dome (70mm!). Hard to go in with small expectations at this point.

FTFY

This will probably be the best film of the year.

:D

Seeing it tomorrow. Can't effin' wait.

Got my ticket for opening night next Friday in 70mm. Can't wait! PTA hasn't let me down yet, and I don't think this will be the start of that.

Damn I envy you.;)

Looking forward to your review.

I can't believe this and Looper are coming out this month. So excited.

I've actually been able to snag tickets to see the film on Tuesday night. I can't believe this is so close!

PTA is my hero, after all.

was not to convinced on this movie but then i saw, Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity and language, just kidding, I really don't understand what all the fuss is about, i like the cast and Paul Thomas Anderson has made two good films, but seriously?

The poster is lovely though.

Really loved it (you can check out my mini-review in the TIFF thread if interested) and am looking forward to seeing it again. It's different than anything PTA has done before, but is still filled with the qualities that make his films great (i.e. great performances, exceptional and thrilling pacing, gorgeous cinematography, terrific music, interesting characters, masterful dialogue). I also didn't find it to be as unfocused as some of the folks who initially reacted to it. Obviously Blood is more focused because Plainview had well-defined goals (whereas Freddie is a drifter), but I thought the narrative was quite strong overall.

Magnolia is the film that made me a serious film fan. I often list it as my favorite. This was likely my most anticipated film of the year. Despite some terrific performances and beautiful 70mm cinematography, though, I just didn't care for the film. I don't have much to say, really, I just found it incredibly hollow. No matter how hard I tried to become engaged or to be challenged by the relationship of these two men, I just couldn't. Drew McWeeny's review is pretty spot on for my feelings, although I think he liked it more than I did.

This looks like a snoozer...will give it a try though.

glad to see no theater near me is playing the Master but they are playing a ten year old movie on TWO screens (finding nemo), some movie called Robot and Frank, some Richard Gere movie called Armitage and some other movie called Celeste and Jesse forever. good job.

The Master only opens in NY/LA on the 14th then expands on the 21st. Robot and Frank happens to be a very good film, and both Arbitrage and Celeste & Jesse got strong reviews and are indieish films that many other places in this country haven't/won't get. You should be happy you're getting these speciality titles.

alright. i will anxiously await the 21st then.

How much of an expansion is it getting on the 21st? Is the movie going to go wide at any point?

Can you describe what you mean by hollow? I've heard a few people say that and I don't agree with it at all.

I have such a bad feeling I'm not going to like this film, I hope I'm wrong.

I don't think Anderson ever quite gets a handle on what he is trying to present or what he is trying to say. The film attempts to explore the relationship between master and servant, but I don't think it does this with any specificity or particular depth. I found it all very pedestrian and surface level. The need for a troubled person to find some sort of salvation is also a potentially fascinating topic, but the film (to me) never quite nails that point either. There's no character arc or change. Neither character is really better or worse off for having met each other. It left me nothing to connect to. It jumps around and rambles on from scene to scene, giving the actors plenty of room to be showy and present neurosis and tics and get in to the physicality, but it rarely gives them anything worth saying. The Cause is an undercooked idea at best, at times hinting at its ties to scientology and at other times feeling like an underdeveloped idea. Perhaps that is part of the point (Lancaster never fully developed anything), but in terms of an engaging narrative it left me very little to grasp on to. I feel like the film runs in place a lot of the time crafting this back and forth relationship that had very little weight to it. I understood what Anderson was going for, but I personally don't think he got there.

It certainly looks and sounds beautiful though, and the performances, again, are top notch all things considered.

It's interesting considering you do list Magnolia as your favorite film. It's often cited as his weakest, most rambling, and most hollow film with a poor grasp on what it's actually trying to say. My favorite of his is Punch-Drunk Love.

It's difficult for me to convey what it is about Magnolia that I love so much. I can say without a certainty that it is the first film that truly made me take film seriously. I credit it with opening up my eyes to film as an art form and something to be explored and discussed. It is messy, but gloriously so. I think it captures life and its rambling and sprawling nature beautifully with a multitude of rich and complex characters and great style. I find it anything but hollow and certainly anything but weak.

Hard Eight (Sydney) is still his weakest effort by a mile.

The Master and Magnolia are so diametrically different. If I didn't know they were by the same filmmaker I would never guess that they were. Anderson has certainly matured and shifted as a filmmaker, focusing on more specific and perhaps esoteric topics, dealing in a more old fashioned cinematic style, and removing the ensemble element that made Boogie Nights and Magnolia so special. I think this worked incredibly well with There Will Be Blood, and not so well here. I'm glad others are liking it, and I still greatly look froward to what PTA puts out next. Regardless of the material, The Master is still an impeccably crafted film and he coaxes an incredible performance out of Joaquin.

Fair enough, thanks for the response. I think a lot of directors have consistent flaws throughout their careers and sometimes they are more of a bother than others. For example, Terrence Malick pretty much disregards standard narrative and for many, that's an extreme turn off while for others, it's seen as a strength.

I've always loved Magnolia, but I can understand why others have a tough time appreciating it. It was just interesting for me to see you critique The Master with the same types of flaws I've seen cited for Magnolia. I've said it before but I think sometimes the mise-en-scene of a film just wins you over, and you get sucked in and ignore any minor or even major flaws.

I agree about Hard Eight, although it has some good moments. There was a huge amount of growth(pun intended) from Hard Eight to Boogie Nights and it seems like PTA continues to mature as a film maker. I still haven't seen There Will Be Blood, but it's on my list, and I might even check out The Master in the theater.

To me, for the most part, movies are about feelings. Ostensibly all films (and directors) have flaws, some of which are repeated throughout careers, some of which they are able to smooth out, etc. At the end of the day, though, I'm less interested in nitpicking flaws than I am in a film that overwhelms my senses or emotions in some fashion. I often find that people are too interested in specific narrative or nitpicking the reality or nature of a film and forget to allow a film to move them in some fashion. I think you speak to this in your comments when referring to Malick or when you mention, "sometimes the mise-en-scene of a film just wins you over, and you get sucked in and ignore any minor or even major flaws." This is exactly right. There are certainly films in which you can comment on the narrative or can nitpick the reality when other elements or the mise-en-scene are not coming together in a successful fashion, but when everything in a film works in such a high fashion the flaws become less important.

My point then, is that, whereas I said Magnolia for example is a messy film, everything about it works so well for me that I could care less. On the flipside, I had such a hard time connecting to or caring about anyone or anything in The Master that I was left cold. Technically proficient but ultimately, to me, hollow.

The way in which one critiques or views a film can shift and evolve based simply upon the content or merits of a film, and what goals it sets out to achieve. This is why comparative criticism (and sometimes the ad hominen attacks that follow) often bothers me. I can like Shitty Action Movie #3, for example, if I find that it achieves what it sets out to do and not like The Master, which I personally don't think connects in any fashion.

But now I've gone off on an unnecessary tangent. Back to The Master.

It's funny, while I agree that The Master and Magnolia are very different films in many ways, when I was watching The Master, I kept thinking how many similarities there are to Magnolia and how very PTA it is. While Magnolia deals with a lot more characters, they both have that overwhelming sense of build-up due to the way they are cut and the way the music blends one scene into the next. Neither film really gives you a chance to catch your breath. On top of that, you have the tracking shots and the bold depictions of characters who are in a deep struggle.

I'd say it's more similar to Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood, but all of Anderson's films have his stamp on them and I don't think The Master is any exception.

Also, thank you for taking the time to explain what you meant by hollow. I can kind of understand where you are coming from, even if I disagree. I was incredibly invested in the characters, and cared as much about Freddie as I did Plainview or Mackey or Egan, maybe even more.

probably will see it since there will be blood is pure gold. I doubt it will come where live if does it will be here one week before the dvd.

I think I'm going to see the film again on Monday. I certainly cannot call it a bad film, and I have too much respect and admiration for PTA to not let it sink in again. Furthermore, I must witness Jaoquin's work again. Just brilliant.

I'm tempted to run in NYC this Monday and check this out in 70mm. But, I may just wait until next Friday.

10 years ago i would have specifically took the train into nyc to see a movie like this now i just can't get excited for over hyped oscar bait .

I'm sure it will be playing in Malverne soon enougn , they always get these type of films , the old ladies eat them up.

The Lincoln thread is here:

http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139732

;)

Here is a sample line from the film:

"You know how to get rid of crabs? You gotta shave one testicle. Then when all the crabs go over to the other testicle, you gotta light the hair on fire on that one and when they all go scurrying out you take an ice pick and you FUCKING STAB EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!"

It's about the farthest thing from Oscar bait. It's just so damn good that the Academy will nominate it in some categories.

I saw The Master in 70mm at the Cinerama Dome last night, which was a pretty awesome experience.

The Master - 9/10 or ****1/2/***** stars

Like There Will Be Blood, The Master is a bizarre, provocative, unexpectedly funny, confounding (in the best possible way), and engrossing piece of work. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are absolutely brilliant as a deeply troubled World War II veteran/drifter and a megalomaniacal spiritual leader, respectively, with the former actor undergoing a dramatic physical transformation and delivering a career-best performance. (One could argue this is Hoffman's finest performance as well.) As for Amy Adams, she is overshadowed by the two leads, but she superbly plays against type once again as the wife of Hoffman's Lancaster Dodd, and her character's naturally charming demeanor is an act, hiding the callous and even creepy woman she actually is. In addition to the performances, the film is beautifully shot, and the score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood (who also scored There Will Be Blood) is terrific. The Master is about the struggle between individualism and conformism, followers and leaders, servants and masters, and it’s about the undeniable power of manipulation, indoctrination, and simply being a commanding and charismatic public speaker. Furthermore, it’s a condemnation of cults, and it questions whether or not religion is absolutely vital in order for us to find purpose and meaning in our lives. With The Master, his sixth film, Paul Thomas Anderson continues his impressive winning streak of great, challenging films and proves why he’s in an elite league of filmmakers. He’s not merely an exceptional filmmaker, but a genuine auteur.

Strider

Agreed. Anderson doesn't know the meaning of Oscar bait. As I've said in another thread, TRUE Oscar bait movies try to please everyone, a la "The King's Speech" or "A Beautiful Mind." The only remotely edgy topic they usually broach is adultery. As a result, they tend to be kind of hollow; easy enough to like, but difficult to truly embrace.

This better come out in my area next weekend!

I personally think There Will Be Blood is probably the best film of the last 25 years, and the only one which I would legitimately consider putting on a top ten all-time list. I'm really curious to hear from the lucky few who have managed to see it: How does The Master compare directly against TWBB? My impression so far is that people (on aggregate) seem to think it's a fascinating film with spectacular cinematography, two spectacular performances, and a spectacular soundtrack which anchor the film; but while it is in the same ballpark as TWBB, it lacks the sheer compelling narrative force which tied that film's spectacular soundtrack/performances/cinematography together (with of course a few complete detractors who just found it kind of entirely an occluded meandering and plodding mess).

If TWBB is a 10, where do you guys put The Master? Around an 8 or 9?

Yeah, that's some pretty disgusting Oscar baiting right there. I heard Spielberg has DDL say the exact same thing in Lincoln.

I would say TWBB is better, but I've also only seen The Master once and TWBB probably 8 or so times. However, I disagree that it lacks a compelling narrative force. It's not as direct as TWBB, as Plainview had very specific goals in mind and direct methods of obtaining those goals, but it's still incredibly compelling to watch someone as lost as Freddie go on this journey and see where he ultimately ends up. If I were to make an analogy for those two characters, I would say that if these two were in an expansive river that has many offshoots, Plainview would be on a speedboat, riding his way up the middle from point A to point B. Freddie would be on an inflatable dinghy, drifting along with little control, going from A to C to B to F to... I'll leave out the last letter.

I give it a 9, but I have a feeling that on subsequent viewings it will go up to a 10.

For those thinking they'll have to wait a long time to see this, think again. It's expanding to 800 theatres next weekend!

When i say oscar bait i'm not referring to some sort of normal mainstream sensibilities but a film that will obviously appeal to the academy come awards season, an r rated film or a film with harsh dialog doesn't discount a film from consideration .

This looks like one of those films that is specifically trying to appeal to the art house crowd and the academy , i have zero interest in it, it looks pretentious as all hell .

Then again, i loved RE 5 so it wasn't exactly aimed at me , in that movie's defense at least it knows it's pretentious .

After reading that quote you posted the film seems even sillier than i imagined , i just think PTA thinks he's too clever for his own good

Judging films before I see them is my favorite activity.

I have no interest, i have a good enough idea to realize this isn't something i care to see