Movie Review: The Master

The latest masterpiece from director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights), The Master is an enthralling and enigmatic piece of film, featuring some of the greatest performances of the year. Returning from Navy service in World War II, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) drifts through a series of PTSD-driven breakdowns, trying to find his stride in several small jobs until having a violent breakdown in the middle of a department store. Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), after returning from the Second World War, having witnessed many horrors, is a very charismatic intellectual who creates a faith-based organization in an attempt to provide meaning to his life. He becomes known as "The Master". Freddie becomes his right-hand man, but soon begins to question both the belief system and The Master as the organization grows and gains a fervent following. There really is no other way to summarize this film, as it truly has to be seen in order to be understood (so to speak). 

The first I will speak of this film are the incredible, virtuosic performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Phoenix, making his acting return since his "set back" in the acting world a few years ago, makes an amazing turn as Dodd's right-hand man. Phoenix is at the height of his career in this role, changing himself both physically and mentally to deal with the intense source material. Playing a mentally deranged drifter, he plays very well off of Hoffman as Dodd, and takes in each bit of Anderson's source material. He is likely to get an Oscar nomination in the (very crowded) Best Actor category. Philip Seymour Hoffman, the title character, is also at the height of his career, which is saying a lot considering his other Oscar-winning roles. He is incredible as Lancaster Dodd, playing a role just as intense as Phoenix. Hoffman is a true performer, and is by far one of the greatest actors of this generation. He is a lock for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and is currently in the lead for the win (his main opponent is Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln). There is a scene earlier in the film, of just Phoenix and Hoffman, where Dodd is giving Freddie an "interview." This is probably the greatest scene in the movie, and is reason enough for both of them to win Oscars. Amy Adams also does very well as the wife of Dodd, Peggy, yet oftentimes gets outshined by the two leads. She should, however, get a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Another great aspect of this movie is the direction and writing of Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson's writing is very smart, and keeps great pace throughout the entire film. His creative angle, bringing the most he can out of the talent of Hoffman and Phoenix is truly masterful. He is one of the greatest directors working today, and one of the best screenwriters. The look of the film, from the sets to the costumes, capture the post-war feel in a believable way. The score has also been another big talking point, using original and repetitive figures to create a sense of suspense and keep the intense feeling throughout the film. Overall, The Master is an incredible piece of film, at the same level of direction and performing of Anderson's last film, There Will Be Blood. It is one of the most original, confusing, yet satisfying films I have seen this year. A virtuosic motion picture if there ever was one. 

Rating: A

Possible Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director- Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Actor- Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Actress in a Supporting Role- Amy Adams
Best Original Screenplay- Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography

Movie Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love from her father prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother. She ventures through the Bathtub and beyond, both in water and on land, with a ragtag group of people form her community and her father. In the end, she learns the ways of the world, and through heartbreak and triumph, learns the secrets of the aurochs and her mother. 

This film is one of the most imaginative creations to grace the screen this year. The main talking point of the film is the incredible performance of 6-year old Quvenzhane Wallis. Wallis is a powerhouse, showing so much talent and emotion that she puts veteran actors to shame. She is currently one of the frontrunners for the Best Actress Oscar, and is a lock for at least a nomination. The supporting cast also does a great job, including Dwight Henry as Hushpuppy's father, Wink. Benh Zeitlin does an amazing directing job, from using the full potential of Wallis's performance to creating the set to mimic Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. The film was very smartly written, mixing fantasy and a child's imagination with a life-changing catastrophe. Shot in actual parts of the slums in Louisiana, the film feels like a real imagining of what life would have been like during this time. When the movie first came out, it was one of the frontrunners for the Best Picture Oscar, but has since lost steam going into the nominations because of the release of some more widely-seen movies. Overall, this is one of the most original films to come along in quite sometime, led along by the masterful performance of the you Wallis. This is a movie that needs to be seen by everyone, if not just for the brave girl named Hushpuppy. 

Rating: A

Potential Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography (longshot)

Movie Review: Lawless

The three Bondurant brothers, Forrest (Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke), and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) run a bootlegging operation during the depression, up in the mountains of Franklin County, Virginia. They sell to everyone in need, including the law, and in turn are left alone to tend to their business. But soon enough, Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (played by Guy Pearce), shows up wanting a share of the moonshining profits, at risk to the brothers of exposing their business. Forrest is attacked in the escalating tension, almost losing his life in the process. He then hires Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain), to help run the house and bar that the brothers own. Jack then meets local mobster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman) shooting a competitor in town, and they soon start a business venture to help deal with the increasing meddling of Rakes. The Bondurant brothers finally take matters into their own hand after Rakes kills their friend and partner Cricket, which finally leads to a climactic shootout where justice is dealt rightfully so. 

To me, this remains one of the most underrated films of the years. It boasted one of the greatest casts of the year, the standouts to me being the usual powerhouse performance of Tom Hardy as Forrest and the incredible turn of Guy Pearce playing Charlie Rakes. Shia LaBeouf also does very well, finally shedding his "good boy" image made through his role in previous projects such as Even Stevens and Transformers. Jessica Chastain is also beautiful as always, and the master Gary Oldman has a good albeit short role as Floyd Banner. The story, based of the non-fiction book "The Wettest County in the World," was well adapted from the source material, keeping all the fascinating parts of the moonshining business with extra bits of violence and action. The look of the film matched that of the depression/prohibition era, with the characters being well-dressed to fit their individual roles. Overall, this was a great movie, filled with good performances by an all-star cast, and enough action mixed with story to keep the audience entertained for the whole movie. One of the most underrated movies of the year. 

Rating: A-