Paul Thomas Anderson writes and directs this Academy Award-nominated drama about a US Navy veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who seeks salvation in the company of a charismatic cult leader. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Freddie Quell, a troubled drifter who arrives home to post-WWII America shaken, disillusioned and fearful of the future. A raging alcoholic, Quell cannot begin to make sense of his deeply-rooted inner torment, let alone surmount it. When he meets Lancaster Dodd ...
Its-not-about-Scientology-but-it-is-really, epic from writer / director Paul Thomas Anderson ('Magnolia', 'Boogie Nights'). 'The Master' explores the troubled relationship between a traumatised WWII sailor (Joaquin Phoenix) and charismatic cult leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in 1950s America. Phoenix and Hoffman give the performances of their lives, both are equally brilliant: Phoenix is the raging alcoholic who'll drink anything (e.g. solvents, mouthwash etc) with a demented, gormless grin and squint that can shift from mild mannered to out-of-control in an instant. He's the quintessential lapdog, indoctrinated muscle for the cult who accommodates his own demons whilst embracing those of his mentor. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the eponymous Master, an approachable but short tempered megalomaniac-in-waiting who embodies the cruel hoax of the American dream. Hoffman's soothing, spiritual mumbo jumbo conceals the dark heart of a dyed-in-the-wool conman out to make his fortune.
The scene where Hoffman 'processes' Phoenix with a series of probing, rapid fire questions was easily one of the best acted and directed scenes of 2012 and perfectly serves to illustrate the ruthless determination of the group to break & compromise its inductees: Phoenix's disturbing revelation in this scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie. And that's the problem: The rest of the movie. Now since I've got nothing but praise for the acting, directing, cinematography and beautiful 70mm scope of 'The Master' I really ought to like this movie more than I do. But as with every PTA film, the flaws are there for the taking and I'm surprised that a director of his calibre still hasn't grasped the importance of pace and editing. 'The Master' would've been a 110 minute classic, what it is, however, is a 137 minute OK-ish film with a lot of padding and a couple of scenes so superfluous and self indulgent (e.g. Philip Seymour Hoffman's nude musical number) that it drags down an otherwise excellent film.
There are points in the film where its already been established that Philip Seymour Hoffman is a charlatan and that Joaquin Phoenix is a bit of a loose cannon, but PTA wants make these points again...and again, and again. I mean; I love the dark, laugh-out-loud humour of the scene where they make Phoenix go from window to window describing what he feels, Hoffman and Phoenix's explosive confrontation in jail or the part where it becomes clear that Hoffman's wife (the brilliant Amy Adams) is the power behind the throne but these scenes, great as they are, lose some of their potency when Anderson repeats himself. For its as if he didn't think those moments were good enough or, worse still, that he doesn't trust the audience to grasp the argument he's trying to make.
'Magnolia' is probably Anderson's most accomplished work to date, though 'There Will Be Blood' is a close second. As far as pace goes, I'd have to say 'Hard 8' and 'Boogie Nights' were the best edited. 'The Master' is a frustrating film for the reasons cited, but there are still enough great scenes to warrant a recommendation. Its one of those movies you'll find yourself thinking about afterwards; placing certain images into the subtext and recalling visual clues that connect to certain aspects of the story that may have only briefly registered whilst you were watching it. By no means a classic but worth seeing for the performances alone.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Paul Thomas Anderson writes and directs this Academy Award-nominated drama about a US Navy veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who seeks salvation in the company of a charismatic cult leader Joaquin Phoenix stars as Freddie Quell a troubled drifter who arrives home to post-WWII America shaken disillusioned and fearful of the future A raging alcoholic Quell cannot begin to make sense of his deeply-rooted inner torment let alone surmount it When he meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) the &39;master&39; of a cult called The Cause an intense and ambiguous relationship develops between the two men But do Dodd&39;s teachings hold the power to turn Quell&39;s life around? Actors Philip Seymour Hoffman Joaquin Phoenix Amy Adams Laura Dern & Rami Malek Director Paul Thomas Anderson Certificate 15 years and over Year 2012 Screen Widescreen Languages English - Dolby Digital (51) Region Region 2 - Will only play on European Region 2 or multi-region DVD players
Paul Thomas Anderson writes and directs this Academy Award-nominated drama about a US Navy veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who seeks salvation in the company of a charismatic cult leader. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Freddie Quell, a troubled drifter who arrives home to post-WWII America shaken, disillusioned and fearful of the future. A raging alcoholic, Quell cannot begin to make sense of his deeply-rooted inner torment, let alone surmount it. When he meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the 'master' of a cult called The Cause, an intense and ambiguous relationship develops between the two men. But do Dodd's teachings hold the power to turn Quell's life around?
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