NIKKI says:I know there was a good movie in there somewhere, something stunning and grand, but -- similar to my first viewing of Magnoila -- I didn'y wholly see it.
What I did see, though, was an engrossing story of a man driven by his deepest personal flaws -- the need to be the best, the richest, to outdo everyone and everything. The challenges that wear down his bravado are interesting, compelling, and sometimes devastating to witness (the revelation that Henry is not who he says he is, for instance). The conflict between Plainview and the young preacher, Eli Sunday, is equally compelling. The scenes here that features just the two of them are great. There are so many great moments here, but I don't know that they piece together as well as I wanted them to.
I thought the time shifts were often too abrupt, and much, as far as character motivations and repercussions of certain events, were overlooked or sidestepped. Still, it was a fascinating watch, especially Daniel Day-Lewis, psychotically brilliant as always. It was interesting, too, to see the continued evolution of Paul Thomas Anderson. The direction and cinematography here were both good.
I might need to watch this a few more times, headphones on, face to the TV screen -- I might come to idolize it as with Magnolia.
3/5
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