{"id":6621,"date":"2012-09-28T23:49:07","date_gmt":"2012-09-28T23:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/?p=6621"},"modified":"2012-09-30T16:59:02","modified_gmt":"2012-09-30T16:59:02","slug":"film-review-the-master","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/2012\/09\/28\/film-review-the-master\/","title":{"rendered":"Film Review: The Master"},"content":{"rendered":"

Director: <\/strong>Paul Thomas Anderson<\/p>\n

Starring: <\/strong>Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams<\/p>\n

Rating: <\/strong>R<\/p>\n

Summary: <\/strong>Freddie Quell (Phoenix), an emotionally damaged veteran-turned-mindless-drifter finds new purpose in life after he meets Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), better known as the \u201cMaster\u201d, a jack-of-all-trades and founder of a cult-like philosophical movement called \u201cThe Cause\u201d.\u00a0 Quell soon finds himself Dodd\u2019s right hand man, traveling with him and his family as they spread his message across the country, much to the displeasure of Dodd\u2019s family members\u2014especially his controlling wife, Peggy (Adams).<\/p>\n

Review:\u00a0<\/strong>If you\u2019re familiar with the work of Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master <\/em>will not come as a surprise, whether it be the length (long), tone (bleak), or pacing (if it were any slower it would go backwards). If you\u2019re not familiar with Anderson, however, it\u2019s safe to say you\u2019ve probably never seen anything like it before. Now, while my earlier description doesn\u2019t exactly paint a flattering picture, Anderson is considered one of the greatest working directors.<\/p>\n

Anderson\u2019s polarizing brilliance comes not from what is said or shown on screen, but what isn\u2019t<\/em>. While his intentional ambiguity drives some crazy (the ending of Inception<\/em>, anyone?), others love it and the intellectual discussion sure to follow. And, if The Master <\/em>is anything, it is intellectual\u2014even more than Anderson\u2019s usual fare. While the film has many universal themes, such as sanity, friendship, trust, and religion, there is one underlying, unspoken, specific theme: Scientology, and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.<\/p>\n

While Anderson\u2019s \u201cMaster\u201d might not have Hubbard\u2019s name, they have far more similarities than differences, from their backgrounds (science fiction writing), to specific events (Dodd\u2019s son tells Quell at one point that his father is just \u201cmaking it up as he goes along\u201d, much like Hubbard\u2019s own son, who called him a fraud) to several details of their respective movements. While this fascinating parallel adds a whole extra dimension to the film, it stands strong on its own, giving it a fascinating, timeless quality.<\/p>\n

I must give a few warnings, however. First, there is a lot <\/em>of nudity in this film\u2014too much, for my taste at least. Second, there is a rather disturbing, and, in my opinion, unnecessary, background story involving a relationship between\u00a0Quell and a 17-year-old named Doris, who looks more than young enough to be his daughter.<\/p>\n

However, as long as you can handle those two iffy subjects I would recommend giving The Master<\/em>, and Paul Thomas Anderson, a chance. The performances are phenomenal, and while it may not be your cup of tea, it is definitely a new experience worth trying.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Verdict: <\/strong>7.5\/10<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bonus:<\/p>\n

Oscar Buzz: <\/strong>Hoffman and Phoenix for Best Actor; Adams for Best Supporting Actress<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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