Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood (2007), 6/10

Paul Thomas Anderson flirts with greatness in There Will Be Blood, only to fall prey to the indulgences he always seems to embrace. On the surface the film tells a compelling story, and Daniel Day-Lewis embraces his character in one of the best performances to survive Anderson’s direction. His acting style meshes well with the screenplay unlike Dano’s, who unfortunately comes across as entirely unnatural and misplaced despite his technically good performance. His character is also too heavy handedly injected into the story, creating an unnatural and ridiculously juxtaposed perspective against the aptly named Plainview. The potential subtlety is squashed in favor of bludgeoning the audience, not just Sunday. This happens often in Anderson’s films, largely because of his broad approach to filmmaking and direction, spoiling films that have clear potential and cinematic brilliance. It is an unmistakable trademark that persists regardless of script, subject matter, or maturity, making Anderson’s films largely frustrating despite their sporadic artistic successes. The glaring issues of the film, aside from the liberties taken with acting, are in its story rather than its cinematic presentation and score which remain outstanding. The story begins with one of the greatest moments of the film with Plainview’s origin and subsequent characterization. In some of the more gorgeously presented scenes later in the film, the necessity of the story is dwarfed by its visual extravagance, but here Anderson himself reproves that this dichotomy is unnecessary and harmful. Story can be beautifully presented and simultaneously inventive or astute, yet Anderson seems always to choose what Peter Walker calls “delusional self-importance” and Carla Meyer aptly summates, “What was grand becomes petty, then overwrought". These statements summarize Anderson’s career beyond There Will Be Blood, but this particular film shows the strongest glimpses of brilliance that are overshadowed, tortured, and ultimately annihilated by an adolescent approach to filmmaking, explaining its hyper-popularity with young audiences. Still, the film is entertaining, enjoyable, and consistently effective despite its numerous failures, an achievement Anderson has yet to repeat in his directing career.