Hola all. Massawyrm here.

Man oh man, what an incredible film. Easily what will be one of the most hotly contested films of the year, this is one of those that will be anointed as a brilliant work of genius by the film loving and critical set while branded as dull, boring and slow as January molasses by others. One thing's for certain: Paul Thomas Anderson isn't trying to spoon-feed anyone. In fact, he's asking a hell of a lot of the audience with his new film. The first 15 minutes alone lack dialog entirely and I swear to god they shaved thousands of dollars off of the budget with the cost of printing alone. But the payoff is absolutely worth it – especially if you're someone who's always asking why Hollywood doesn't make great movies anymore.

At least they don't make movies like this anymore. Some might say for good reason. And I'd totally fucking disagree. This is a story about a baaaaad man. Not just some tough hombre, but someone who is a complete and total bastard. The guys a prick. A real son of a bitch. And while you want to like him, it is not in that John Shaft/John McClane/Rick Blaine sort of way. You want to like him because he's fascinating. A self made man. And very, very human.

You watch him over time as this man goes from being a prospecting pauper, on through to successful business man, all the way up to earn the word tycoon. But you're never really allowed to root for him, never allowed to really like him. Because he is one of the greediest, most rotten, swindling sons of a bitch you've ever seen. And you can't take your eyes off of him for a minute. He's a monster, a force of nature, a blight on the land itself there to suck it dry until a burnt out husk is all that is left. Yeah. Upton Sinclair wasn't exactly known for his uplifting stories, and this adaptation of his work is no exception.

Dickens this ain't. There Will Be Blood isn't a story about hope, about redemption or even the triumph of the human spirit. It is about greed in all its forms. The greed for wealth, for power, and for respect. And it is about the triumph of that greed over all else. We like to believe that the good guys always win, that there is a small kernel of goodness in even the most vile of human beings – and through love or patience or self-sacrifice that kernel can be brought to the surface to spark a transformation in even the most wicked of men. This film would disagree. This film is about a man devoid of that kernel. This film is about watching a hurricane of a man move through a town and destroy everything he touches.

And no, there is no happy ending.

By now you should be getting an idea as to why this is going to cause some dissenting opinions. Some people don't like the idea of sitting in a theatre for almost two and a half hours watching a guy who doesn't talk much treat a bunch of people like shit. It isn't fun, funny, emotional or action packed. It is a character study, a rich and wonderful character study of someone who represents the very worst that common humanity has to offer. And I would hazard a guess that there are a lot of people out there that simply don't want to see a movie like that.

And then there are those of us that do. Especially when it is executed as brilliantly as this is. This is a film made by a completely different Paul Thomas Anderson than you are accustomed. To date he has made a series of beautiful, funny and sad films that are very complicated tellings of very simple things. There Will Be Blood is a simple story about very simple things. Elegantly simple. Despite its running time there isn't a lot of fat here. There really aren't any superfluous characters or happenings to speak of. Everything serves its purpose in driving the character and providing a glimpse into what built this country's fossil fuel infrastructure. And no, it is not as exciting as it sounds. There are folks who are going to walk out of this feeling like they've just come out of THE QUEST FOR OIL: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE like they've been duped by the lure of the big screen into what is actually a learning experience. But that's kind of the point. The film has a lot to say about human nature and what built this country, and does so free of politics or preaching.

But for those who love a great character piece, revel in incredible, lush cinematography and relish an originally crafted score that drives a film more than simple words ever could, then this movie is gonna serve you up a double order jaw dropping splendor and a side of please sir may I have some more. It is one of the very best things you will see all year.

Daniel Day-Lewis is…well…he's Daniel Day-Lewis. He's the Halley's freaking comet of actors. He doesn't come around often, but when he does you know you're gonna have to go out and see it for yourself. And he never disappoints. Say what you will about any of the films he's in, but when have you ever heard a single bad word about him? Never. And you're definitely not going to start to now. He is as amazing as he ever is. But he has to be. I can't imagine this movie working with anyone else because I'm not certain how fascinating another actor could make so quiet a character.

I doubt you will see so well crafted, original and yet decidedly classic a film all year. Or in the year to come for that matter. This is something truly wonderful and special, and for those ready to embrace it, ready for a return to classic style filmmaking at its finest, then they have something well worth the wait this Christmas. Love it or hate it, people are going to be using the big trademarked "O" word around this baby and for good reason. It is playing at that level and then some.

If this somehow gets knocked off of my top 5 this year, there will be several stained seats left in my wake. It's that kind of good.

Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.

Massawyrm

There will be e-mail.