I did a lot of thinking back and forth on this one. A lot. I wasn’t sure if I loved this movie or hated it. When I saw it the other day, as soon as it ended I thought, “Bah!” and got out of my chair and left during the closing credits. But I can’t stop thinking about it. Perhaps its only crime was not being what I expected it to be.
There Will Be Blood does not stand up and explain itself. Nor is as beautifully shot as the trailer leads you to believe. And, frankly, there are stretches where the story seems to be going nowhere. But the characters and situation are very unique, what’s happening on the screen is always somewhat fascinating and, most importantly, there is Daniel Day-Lewis doing his thing. Yes, this thing isn’t all that dissimilar from Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York, but how is that a negative?
The last scene of this movie is an instant classic. I’m going to risk some tomatoes thrown my way, but I think it is a little too crazy. I think P.T. Anderson may’ve given D.D.-L. a little too much license to go bananas and didn’t have the guts to reign him in. That’s just my opinion. Still, though, I drink your milkshake. I drink it up!
