The Master

[Gopher]

He's basically the same man he was at the beginning of the movie.

That's the point. His experience with Lancaster Dodd, in which the two wildly opposed leads seek refuge in one another and try to co-opt the best in one another (Freddie wants Dodd's guidance, Dodd wants to tap into Freddie's unruly, animalistic spirit), ends in a stalemate- a sad acceptance that believing in some Cause bigger than ourselves is futile compared to developing a deeper connection with someone, much like finding solace in a sand whore. At the end of the film. Dodd and Freddie both have arcs in the movie, but Dodd's is the one that ends with him in a different, arguably sadder place.

[AniNate]

Must've been a rough two and a half hours, then.

There were a couple scenes that I was engaged by, his initial interrogation being the highlight.

[Deep Wang]

Now this is a thought-provoking movie. It's been almost a week since I have seen it and I can't stop thinking about it!I can't say I love it in the way that I love his other movies because this isn't as watchable(I've seen Magnolia at least 10-15 times, fucking LOVE IT), but this might be his best in terms of craft. PTA is the kind of director, much like Kubrick, where there are no accidents on the screen. Every single detail is exactly the way it should be, with very specific purposes and meanings. It is up to us to figure those out.Let me tell you, I am having a blast trying to unravel the movie he made.

[Gopher]

I think TWBB more watchable (or will be, I've only seen The Master once) but The Master has more interesting thematics going on. Dodd and Freddie's arcs are far more subtle than Plainview's but just as compelling.

[Deep Wang]

I think TWBB more watchable (or will be, I've only seen The Master once) but The Master has more interesting thematics going on. Dodd and Freddie's arcs are far more subtle than Plainview's but just as compelling.

Oh yeah.I am also a firm believer in the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. If only there were more movies like this.

[Travod]

I don't think that the common argument of "The people who don't like this don't like thinking during movies and would rather watch Transformers" is applicable.

[Gopher]

The poorly written "this is the worst movie I've ever seen" reviews I'm reading on Fandango and Metacritic I think are most probably from viewers who aren't willing to spend time outside of their movie comfort zone. Which makes me wonder what they were seeing The Master for in the first place...

[JackO]

Finally got to see this. Not in 70mm though but I think PTAs style made it so it did not matter. The intimacy of the camera and how it captured every single wrinkle in Pheonix's and PSH faces is impeccable. It just drags you right into the experience. I still need some to process it, especially the ending but I think this is one of the greats. I felt really uncomfortable as The Cause tried to break him down. The powerhouse performances by PSH and Phoenix. The omnipresent strength of Amy Adams. The biting commentary on cults and how fragile the relationship is between student and master. Maybe it was the gratuitous tits but it gave me some inklings of Gaspar Noe's Enter the Void without the extra psychedelics. I don't know. Hard to form complete thoughts on this one just yet.

[JackO]

That's the point. His experience with Lancaster Dodd, in which the two wildly opposed leads seek refuge in one another and try to co-opt the best in one another (Freddie wants Dodd's guidance, Dodd wants to tap into Freddie's unruly, animalistic spirit), ends in a stalemate- a sad acceptance that believing in some Cause bigger than ourselves is futile compared to developing a deeper connection with someone, much like finding solace in a sand whore. At the end of the film.Dodd and Freddie both have arcs in the movie, but Dodd's is the one that ends with him in a different, arguably sadder place.

Ah, ok. Thanks for that. I was kind of wondering what was going on there.

[CoolioD1]

This movie totally blew my dick off. Best of what I've seen this year. Two career best performances from the leads and immaculate direction from Anderson.

[FTF]

...The omnipresent strength of Amy Adams....

Not to reduce your post to one sentence, but upon my second viewing of seeing this movie her role really stuck out to me, as she was the real (puppet) Master. She was the one controlling PSH, she was his master, and the ending, when he sings to Freddie, made me realize even more how it wasn't Dodd who was trying to save Freddie and bring Freddie into his world and his "cause", but he who wanted to be brought into Freddie's world and be more the animal and free spirit per say.Amazing acting and directing all around...and that first processing scene with them, when he's rattling off questions to Freddie is so intense and powerful, it gave me chills and is one of the best scenes of any movie I've seen this year. Edited November 17, 2012 by FTF

[Hatebox]

Finally saw it. Pretty much as I expected: an ambient, aesthetic pleasure that will require a rewatch. Flawless acting too.

I'm fairly certain, even after one viewing, that I preferred Blood. The themes of Master were more subtle, but I dug the operatics of Blood just a tad more.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Hatebox

[acab]

This movie along with Amour are the best films i saw this year and 2 films i consider to be mastepieces. It's definitily a thought provoking film with lots of layers. A film about power and vanity. I saw it as an allegory about the post-WWII America, post war trauma and the American dream. Top performances all around with the two protagonists being trully brilliant. Excellent cinematography and production values. P.T.Anderson has really matured as an artist and he remains one of the most intersting filmmakers working today.

[Jack Nevada]

I was going to be really clever with my review, and start off with a super-negative fake opening just to fuck with Coolio, Gopher and the others. In the end I dont think its necessary. Instead I'll just start with this:

 

The Master is a great movie.

 

I haven't really started to analyze it yet, but even on a visceral level The Master.. well, its quite a movie. I cant really compare it to any other films I've seen. I never found it boring, nor pretentious like a lot of people did. Instead the movie kinda sucks you in, kinda like how the cult sucks in Joaquin Phoenix. Yeah, I'm sure no other critics have made that comparison. 

The movie certainly feels its length, as it is two and a half hours, but fortunately there isn't a dead moment here. Even the ten minute scene of Phoenix walking from one end of the room to an other was interesting, because that whole sequence almost makes you understand how people get captured in shit like The Cause. 

 

Oh, one thing: fuck Daniel Day Lewis. Fuck him, and his english ass from stealing the forthcoming best actor Oscar from Joaquin Phoenix. Also Tommy Lee Jones can go suck a million dicks for stealing the best supporting actor award from Philip Seymor Hoffman. PSH and Phoenix deliver two performances that I'd rank up there as some of the best ever. Joaquin Phoenix, playing a dog of a man, makes his character one you cant take your eyes off of. Its a startling, ferocious and mysterious  performance, that really has to be seen to be believed. I haven't seen a movie in a while with a 'hero' that is so fucked up on so many levels. It seems that Quill (the characters name) was a fuckface already before the war, but the stress and traumatizing events pushed him over the edge into something really ugly. 

 

Equally fantastic is Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Master, Lancaster, who works as a father figure of sorts to Quill. He and Phoenix have tremendous charisma and chemistry together. Amy Adams is really good too, and I liked Christopher Evan Welch, who has a bit part a guy who dares to doubt The Cause. 

 

The movie is not only well acted, but its also extremely well shot, its has a good soundtrack, and it captures the time period with great detail. Its not a movie that I'll be coming back to time and time again, but its definitely a powerful film that is one of the best from 2012.

 

Pigfuck indeed

 

5/5

[Gopher]

It's Freddie QUELL  

 

Great review! I've seen the film twice and I can't wait to pour over the Blu-Ray. 

[Jack Nevada]

It's Freddie QUELL Great review! I've seen the film twice and I can't wait to pour over the Blu-Ray.

I totally will see it again on BD

[CoolioD1]

It's Freddie QUELL

 

Great review! I've seen the film twice and I can't wait to pour over the Blu-Ray. 

I've seen it thrice. I win.

[Jack Nevada]

I've seen it thrice. I win.

How many times did you watch Holy Motors? I watched it again last week, still great.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

I can't wait to see in a couple weeks! I have preordered the blu ray. 

[CoolioD1]

How many times did you watch Holy Motors? I watched it again last week, still great.

Only seen it once actually. There's only a couple other movies from last year I've seen more than once.