there will be blood

Tonight's instalment of Operation See As Many Oscar Movies Before The Oscars was the much talked about There Will Be Blood, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.  Nominated for about 100 Oscars this film just might be worthy of all of them.  This was a really, really great film.  I may even go so far as to say that PT Anderson should win Best Director over my beloved Coen Brothers.  But let's not get crazy.

First things first, the obvious greatness of Daniel "No matter what occurs, I will find you" Day Lewis.  Is there anything better than him on the big screen?  Especially in a deliciously deteriorating role like this?  To watch him get more and more subtley delusional throughout the movie makes you realize there are few actors who can play cruel with quite the same skill level as him.  In typical Lewis style, the role is exhaustedly researched right down to his speech patterns.    He truly is one of the best actors of our time and I really think this film is a reminder of that.  Also worth mentioning, just the general handsomeness of Daniel Day Lewis.  Those eyes, the body, that gravely "I'm an oil man" voice he uses......it's enough to make a girl blush.  In a perfect world he would hang around my house saying things like "Tara your coffee is ready" and "Tara aren't you just a breath of fresh air this fine morning" and pretty much whatever else he wanted to say in that voice of his.
 Meow.

Another mention, Paul Dano -- where the freak is this guy's Best Supporting Actor nomination? To share the stage with someone like Lewis and not get trampled is no easy feat and this guy held his own and then some.  I totally forgot he was the son in Little Miss Sunshine that's how good he was in this movie.  And considering he had 4 days to prep for it before shooting is fairly unbelievable.  Especially given that Lewis had a year to prepare.  I hope he keeps on this path because if he does, he will be someone to watch for sure.

Now the music....ahh the music.  This soundtrack ended up on a ton of Best of 2007 lists.  And perhaps rightly so as it was quite well done if not slightly overused.  Perhaps having just seen No Country For Old Men which doesn't have a single note of music in it I'm now a bit skeptical that music is needed at all to create tension?  No Country had me on the edge of my seat with zero music.  This movie had a pretty excellent opening scene without any dialogue and yet the scene was almost ruined for me by the presence of these screeching violins ominously warning you of what was to come.  I was with you!  Right from the start!  I don't need the music poking me in the arm like someone telling me "hey, watch this part something's going to happen" like a slasher film.  But a lot of it was good.  Part of me is trying to give Jonny Greenwood a break -- after all, he never claimed to be Howard Shore.  The guy's a rockstar -- we should maybe give hi a break?  After all we all love Radiohead right?  Can't that be enough?

Again after watching No Country and then this movie is truly a cinematography lover's fantasy.  Both movies were so beautiful to watch for very different reasons.  This movie had brilliant use of natural light that I wish more filmmakers would use.  Not every night scene has to look like it's taking place at centerfield in a football stadium.  It's okay for things to be dark sometimes.  I would probably pick No Country as my preference in this area but it's a tough call.  PT Anderson has shown us he knows how to shoot a film outside and there's a lot of filmmakers that could learn more than a few things from him.  This is a beautiful film to watch.

Overall, this film is easily in the running for my favourite film of the year and it's only February.  Big words I know, but I liked it that much.  It's a great story that keeps you interested with a main character the likes of which I haven't seen in a long time.