The Master
Writer/Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a Navy vet who returns to the States following WWII. He constantly squints, as if his vision isn't quite properly aligned with the world in which he lives, and indeed, he doesn't fit in with the rest of society. He drinks anything he can get his hands on (paint thinner included), he's prone to violence, easily agitated, aggressive, and generally makes people nervous. He's a child in a man's body, obsessed with sex but completely unaware of how to treat a woman, and even his crooked posture seems to indicate that's he's not comfortable in his own skin. He's the perfect guinea pig for Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a charismatic man who has founded his own religion called The Cause. When Quell stows away on Dodd's boat one night, Dodd takes Quell under his wing under the auspices of helping him struggle with his difficulties adjusting to normal society, but he actually just uses him as a test subject for new material in order to further his own agenda.
That's the plot, but it's not really what the film is about. The Master goes much deeper, tackling complex themes of loyalty, trust, loneliness, deception, power, belief, and struggle as the conflict between the two men escalates. Anderson also explored a similar kind of power struggle between lead characters in There Will Be Blood, but while that film was almost completely devoid of female characters, this one is much more interested in exploring, if not the female characters themselves, then the effect they have on the male psyche. Amy Adams is excellent as Dodd's wife, a powerful figure in her own right, and Quell's obsession with women and sex provides some interesting opportunities to examine his twisted mentality as the film progresses. This culminates in - and I'll be vague here to avoid spoilers - Freddie finally achieving what he thinks he wants, but since Dodd has already corrupted him, it's a bittersweet revelation.
If you've ever seen PTA's work, you know what you're in for as far as technical prowess and cinematography. The Master is one of the most beautifully shot films of 2012, finding equal allure in a close up of an actor's face as in wide crane shots of cracked desert or steady tilts over the open sea. It almost feels like it should be studied, not enjoyed, and that's part of the reason I didn't fall head over heels for this like many of my colleagues. There seems to be an iciness to Anderson's creation, and since it isn't instantly clear whether he actually has a dog in the proverbial fight (Freddie is just as morally bankrupt as Dodd, but in a different way), some of the film seems distant.
That said, many of the issues I have with the film wither in the shadows of the titanic performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix. Jeremy Smith from AICN "There's Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell, and then there's every other performance I've seen this year," and I'm inclined to agree with him. Phoenix completely transforms into this broken, disturbed character, and Hoffman imbues Dodd with a laser-sharp confidence that is essential to perpetuating his power within The Cause. As much as this is a PTA film through and through, it's also a showcase for these guys to give the best performances of their respective careers. The Master is a welcome start to a fall season that, if we're lucky, will give us more like this as the year heads to a close. Until next time...
Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a Navy vet who returns to the States following WWII. He constantly squints, as if his vision isn't quite properly aligned with the world in which he lives, and indeed, he doesn't fit in with the rest of society. He drinks anything he can get his hands on (paint thinner included), he's prone to violence, easily agitated, aggressive, and generally makes people nervous. He's a child in a man's body, obsessed with sex but completely unaware of how to treat a woman, and even his crooked posture seems to indicate that's he's not comfortable in his own skin. He's the perfect guinea pig for Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a charismatic man who has founded his own religion called The Cause. When Quell stows away on Dodd's boat one night, Dodd takes Quell under his wing under the auspices of helping him struggle with his difficulties adjusting to normal society, but he actually just uses him as a test subject for new material in order to further his own agenda.
That's the plot, but it's not really what the film is about. The Master goes much deeper, tackling complex themes of loyalty, trust, loneliness, deception, power, belief, and struggle as the conflict between the two men escalates. Anderson also explored a similar kind of power struggle between lead characters in There Will Be Blood, but while that film was almost completely devoid of female characters, this one is much more interested in exploring, if not the female characters themselves, then the effect they have on the male psyche. Amy Adams is excellent as Dodd's wife, a powerful figure in her own right, and Quell's obsession with women and sex provides some interesting opportunities to examine his twisted mentality as the film progresses. This culminates in - and I'll be vague here to avoid spoilers - Freddie finally achieving what he thinks he wants, but since Dodd has already corrupted him, it's a bittersweet revelation.
If you've ever seen PTA's work, you know what you're in for as far as technical prowess and cinematography. The Master is one of the most beautifully shot films of 2012, finding equal allure in a close up of an actor's face as in wide crane shots of cracked desert or steady tilts over the open sea. It almost feels like it should be studied, not enjoyed, and that's part of the reason I didn't fall head over heels for this like many of my colleagues. There seems to be an iciness to Anderson's creation, and since it isn't instantly clear whether he actually has a dog in the proverbial fight (Freddie is just as morally bankrupt as Dodd, but in a different way), some of the film seems distant.
That said, many of the issues I have with the film wither in the shadows of the titanic performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix. Jeremy Smith from AICN "There's Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell, and then there's every other performance I've seen this year," and I'm inclined to agree with him. Phoenix completely transforms into this broken, disturbed character, and Hoffman imbues Dodd with a laser-sharp confidence that is essential to perpetuating his power within The Cause. As much as this is a PTA film through and through, it's also a showcase for these guys to give the best performances of their respective careers. The Master is a welcome start to a fall season that, if we're lucky, will give us more like this as the year heads to a close. Until next time...
2 comments:
So is "The Master" going to be Oscar bait?
Basically, what I'm trying to say is The Master Oscar bait??
If you haven't understood the question yet, in laymen's terms, is The Mast-**loses internet connection**
I think I agree with just about everything you said. It's not a great movie, but it is a good movie, and the performances by Phoenix and Hoffman were terrific. I also was pleasantly surprised by how much The Master doesn't "go after" Scientology. I think that would have been far too easy, and could they ever top the South Park episode that spoofed it? For the big screen, Anderson's approach is much more interesting.