The Master

My Rating : 8/10

Inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and the development of a cult, 'The Master' is a drama-piece through and through.

The movie doesn't have a message or goal as such and sort of does it's own thing.

The things worth watching are the terrific performances, weird content and some very fine cinematography.

The Master (2012)

**** (out of 4)

Paul Thomas Anderson's latest centers on Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a trouble man who after serving in WWII finds himself wondering around, getting addicted to alcohol and not really having a place in life. This is when he comes across a man some call The Master (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who begins to make him see life in a different way. THE MASTER is pretty much about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology but I'm sure for legal reasons this isn't ever really spelled out. I will admit that I hated MAGNOLIA but found both BOOGIE NIGHTS and THERE WILL BE BLOOD to be extremely good movies even if I didn't love them like most people did. This film here is without question the greatest of the director's career and it's rather amazing to watch because of how slow it moves. I'm not saying it's slow in a bad way, instead the director really takes his time letting the viewer get to know the characters and before long you're really wrapped up in what's going on and can't turn away. I'm sure many people are going to want to read into what's going on. I'm sure many people will be coming to the film just to bash Scientology. For me this film really doesn't take a stand one way or another but instead it gives us a couple of the most memorable characters in recent years and their journey is something quite chilling and downright impossible to ignore. Of course, one of the greatest benefits is that you've got two of the best actors working together and performing magic. Phoenix has always been an underrated actor and this here might be the best performance of his career. There are so many sides and emotions to this character yet Phoenix reaches all of them without a problem and is downright haunting during certain scenes. Even his rages of anger are downright chilling. Hoffman, who seems to be doing one masterpiece job after another, also delivers here. I really enjoyed how un-flashy he made the character and I really liked that he didn't just scream like a maniac. There's certainly some very funny screaming matches but the way Hoffman builds up to these moments is just magical to watch. Amy Adams does a very good job in her supporting role but I think there's no doubt that the film belongs to the two leads. Jonny Greenwood's music score really grabs you from the first time you hear it and it perfectly fits with what's going on in the film. The cinematography by Mihai Malaimare, Jr. is downright masterful and the use of 70mm is something I thought wouldn't work in a film like this but the visual look it gives the film shows that it was the right choice. THE MASTER probably won't appeal to everyone but even if you don't like the subject, the two performances are just so great that this is still a must see picture.

I came into The Master knowing almost nothing about it and, knowing (and caring) almost nothing about Scientology, it transpires that I may not have been able to take as much from it as someone going in fully informed and ready to be led by the director. I say this upfront because I have noticed that generally, criticism of this film tends to be met with a snobby dismissal of the individual who didn't "get it" because they weren't smart enough etc. This said, the film started well and it engaged me for well over the first half, building characters and exploring them in a patience rhythmic manner that mirrors the hypnotic delivery of Dodd himself. Sadly this build doesn't have a delivery to speak of and in the second half of the film it really did lose me.

What else it lost was any direction and sense of momentum that it may have had up till that point. The story doesn't go anywhere and it takes its time doing it, meandering through similar ground and offering nothing to really justify the long running time. Some may chose to see this as people complaining about a lack of action etc (again, that snobby of assuming such comments must mean "I need a car chase") but this isn't it at all; the story-telling seems to fall way down a priority list and it is a real shame because so much else about the film is excellent.

The first thing that grabs you is visually how stunning the film is – and it is a factor that remains consistent across the whole film. The colors, the framing and the size of the images are alluring and engaging. I had not heard of Malaimare before seeing his name in the credits, but his work here is terrific. On top of these images we get great use of music that is like a bedding rather than being stuck on top. It is hard to describe but it works very well, spilling under scene after scene and giving the delivery an oddly engaging feel and tone. As everyone has already said, the film is carried with some very strong performances. Phoenix is really great, with ragged edges and internals on display. Hoffman is more patient but also prone to rage when questioned and he balances this well. Adams surprised me the most as I think I didn't expect her to be as good as she was. The three of them (but mostly the lead two) make the film much better by virtue of what they do – and it is just a shame that the story-telling isn't better for them.

Indeed this is true for me of everything, because the film is so well made, looks so beautiful and is a great piece of crafting that it really is such a shame to be left cold by it and to feel it meandering without any momentum or reason. It is a great film and it deserves to be seen for what it does so very well, but in no way is it a good story – and it is this aspect that really lets it down.

I will never understand how Phoenix and Hoffman didn't win the Oscars. Specially Joaquin, I truly think it is the best actor performance I ever watched in my life. The movie is great, although is not for everyone, you must watch it with the right mindset and pay attention to every detail. Most new actors should watch this movie to take notes on how to be a better actor. Cheers.

Paul Thomas Anderson has grown as perhaps the greatest American auteur of his generation. At 42, this is his 6th film (following 1996's "Hard Eight", 1997's "Boogie Nights", 1999's "Magnolia" - my all-time favorite -, 2002's "Punch-Drunk Love", and 2007's "There Will Be Blood"). Like the late master Kubrick and the aging master Terrence Malick (who, coincidentally, just debuted his 6th film, "To the Wonder", at the latest Venice Film Festival where PTA won the Silver Lion for Best Director), he isn't the most prolific of filmmakers; but his perfectionist creations, cerebral yet strikingly cinematic and emotional, always leave an indelible mark (polarizing audiences but usually earning critical acclaim). "The Master" is no exception. Shot on 70mm film, it is not so much of an "outside" epic as you'd imagine - although every single image is stunning and perfectly composed (courtesy of cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., who replaced Robert Elswit, Anderson's usual collaborator). It closely resembles "There Will Be Blood" in tone and content, but it stands on its own (Jonny Greenwood is once again responsible for the score).

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled and troubling drifter who becomes the right-hand man of Lancaster Dodd (actor extraordinaire Philip Seymour Hoffman), "the master" of a cult named The Cause in post-WWII America. Their strange, ambiguous relationship is the center of the film. "The Master" is a thought-provoking indictment of cult fanaticism and lies sold as religion, which has caused controversy and concern among Scientologists even before its release. By not mentioning real names, Anderson is capable of broadening the scope of his story and making it richer - and subtler - than a straightforward "Scientology flick" would have been. Like his previous films, there's more than meets the eye at a single viewing, and his attention to detail pays off (there's also a visual homage to Jonathan Demme's "Melvin and Howard", another favorite of Anderson's, in a motorcycle racing scene). Hoffman is as good as ever, and Amy Adams is highly effective (slowly depriving herself of cutesy mannerisms) as his wife. David Lynch's golden girl Laura Dern has a small role as well. But this is Joaquin Phoenix's hour, all the way. River Phoenix's younger brother has become a fascinating actor himself since Gus Van Sant's dark comedy "To Die For" (1995), and, after his much publicized "retirement from acting" and music career hoax in 2009, he managed to come back with a performance for the ages, which shall culminate in Oscar gold. As for Anderson, it is unsure whether the Academy will finally recognize him as he deserves. His films may still be too outlandish for the Academy's taste (he's announced his next project will be an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's crime novel "Inherent Vice", a seemingly less ambitious project he hopes to make in less than five years). Regardless of Oscar numbers, we can rest assured that in a world where PTA gets to make such personal and original work and find his audience, there is still hope, and room, for intelligent filmmaking.