DVD Reviews

There Will Be Blood

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Comparisons with Paul Thomas Anderson's slow-burning There Will Be Blood and America's bullying foreign policy are not easy to ignore. The film, loosely based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil! is more a message than a story - but when Anderson isn't making a political comment, what a drama it is.
For the most part, There Will Be Blood isn't Giant, it's Gargantuan; giving focus to the wondrous scenery is an in-depth character study of an amoral man who is driven by one thing and one thing only: greed. It's a greed so cold, so pure and so determined, that he banishes his 'son' when he becomes deaf, because he can no longer help him in the business. Day-Lewis's Plainview, like his role in Gangs Of New York, is a force of nature. The actor, thankfully, reins in that shouty, larger-than-life performance for a more reserved tone here and turns in, arguably, his best performance to date.
The film feels a tad unfinished, though. Sure, Anderson has made his point by the close, but there was definitely more to deliver here than just a message. The director is one film away from being one of the greatest filmmakers that ever graced the screen, but despite There Will Be Blood being a genuinely brilliant piece of work, this isn't it. It's definitely going to happen, though - it's just a matter of time.

Review by Gavin Burke