3 1/2 out of 4 Stars Paul Thomas Anderson is the master of modern cinema, there’s no disputing that if you look back at his five previous masterpieces; Sydney (Hard Eight), Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood. Anderson’s sixth film, The Master, is a film of beautiful imagery with a flawed story to tell.
Set
at the end of World War II, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a former Navel
seaman trying to adapt back to the real world after witnessing the horrors of
the Pacific. Quell is far from a soldier dealing with post-traumatic stress;
his anger and sexual conquests come from an area so deep that Daniel Plainview
couldn’t dig it up with all the derricks in There Will Be Blood. Enter
Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the flamboyant leader of a religious
organization known only as The Cause. Peanut galleries have flocked with
speculation over Hoffman’s performance mirroring the real-life exploits of L.
Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. The Scientology parallel is just a
dead end as The Cause can be broken down into any religious organization. The
chance meeting between Freddie and Lancaster lead to a love-hate relationship
between two men trying to find meaning in their lives, whether it is from illusions
of grandeur to lead-based alcohol.
Despite
the flaws in the plot, it is the actors that hold The Master together. Joaquin
Phoenix gives ones of the most intense, violent and darkly comic performances
of the year as Freddie Quell. From the subtle idiosyncrasies expressed on his
face to the balls-to-the-wall rage unleashed on others, his performance is an
explosive powder keg that will leave an aftershock long after the credits roll.
Phoenix’s rage is mixed with a charm and wily sense of humor that he managed to
pull off in real life a few years ago with his short-lived rap career.
Philip
Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Lancaster Dodd marks his fifth collaboration
with Anderson in The Master. Hoffman’s pathos and wit amongst his followers
mirrors that of Orson Welles or Charles Laughton in their prime. Like Freddie,
Dodd is a man uncertain of his existence to the point that when he is boxed in
a corner, he leaves an impression that will leave the hairs on the back of your
neck stand. Hoffman’s chemistry with Phoenix is unbelievable in two key scenes
in the movie; one involves a wide-eyed dissection of Freddie’s past while the
other involves both men in a jail cell that makes De Niro’s prison scene in
Raging Bull pale in comparison.
Behind
every powerful actor is a powerful actress, and Amy Adams is one of them. Her
performance as Lancaster’s devoted wife is mesmerizing as she stands as a woman
with as much as a thrill for power as her husband to the point where she takes
command over Lancaster in a memorable bathroom scene. Adams is, without a
doubt, one of the great actresses of her generation as she fires from all cylinders
with such restraint that it’s chilling.
Anderson
shot the film in 65mm film, as well as edited by hand. After seeing the film in
both 70mm format and 35mm format, the visuals are equally seductive and
powerful that the spirits of David Lean and George Stevens are smiling within
the cosmos. The visuals are complemented with Jonny Greenwood’s intense score
that is a step forward from the minimalist approach he took to scoring There
Will Be Blood.
Technical aspects aside, the story does fall short with some
head scratching uncertainty over the resolution of the story that almost
mirrors that to the surreal prose of Thomas Pynchon. If one were to dissect the film with a fine tooth comb, it is a unique blend of John Huston's controversial documentary, Let There Be Light (at least, the first ten minutes of the film), and Elmer Gantry. All
things considered, The Master may not be Anderson’s strongest film, but it is
an unforgettable film that will leave you thirsty for a second viewing.
