The Naked Lunch radio show

Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood"

Okay -- so I downloaded Episode 15 and it sounded like they were going to say too much about There Will Be Blood, so I stopped listening because I had not seen the film.

 SO - Saturday afternoon I go and see it - it was a packed house at Denver's Mayan Theater (Currently the exclusive venue in the Denver-Metro area).

Okay - it was good, - but like RE, whose review is linked here, I did not see "greatness".  Maybe "good" is not completely fair - maybe I mean "really good" or "very good, but "Great"?

I listened to Episode 15 on Sunday - looking for clues to what I missed, but I did not really get any... 

So - what did I miss?

Tom 

Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Frist I would just like to say that we never give out any spoilers of any movies that are less than a year old. I am glad that you went back and listened to the show again after you saw the film.

Now for your answer.

As I mentioned in the show. This film is not for everyone. Mostly for film students and film makers. Also I said that it is a film that will only really be appreciated by future generations. Even the early films by Stanley Kubrick were only considered masterpieces a decade later. A few points of why I like the film so much ..

- The film marks a major advance for Anderson who reveals increased maturity and artistic assurance with this film.

- Dano’s performance is outstanding. His confidence in his character’s truth is breathtaking.

-The original music by Jonny Greenwood is fantastic.

- There are good performances, and great performances, and then there are performances that so extraordinary that you can’t look away. Like Brando in  A Streetcar Named Desire, and Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver. Day-Lewis gives one as Daniel Plainview.

- Anderson delivers an authentic, convincing portrait of this era

- Every scene and sequence a fascinating visual perspective -- so that it doesn't look quite like anything we've seen before.  (Much of this is due to the great production designer Jack Fisk -- "Mulholland Dr.," "The Thin Red )

- The oil rig explosion is outstanding

- The cinematography is eye popping

- Of the many Oscar-worthy moments in the film, the best has to be the church scene where Eli forces Daniel to announce himself a sinner. Watch Day-Lewis’ delivery and try to imagine anyone else moving from sarcasm to anger to heartache in the space of those few minutes.

I don’t’ know what else to say. You mentioned  that you were looking for clues on what you missed. I don’t think you missed anything. People have different tastes. Also I say this time and time again. When you go into a movie with high expectations you are easily disappointed. When you go into a film with no or low expectations, than you have a better chance of enjoying the film if it is half decent.

Maybe there was just too much hype. Maybe you like films with more action, films that are a little faster paced and maybe even have a lead female character. I do not know. I try on the show to gear people to the right movies. Movies that are meant for them. Which is why I warned people it was not for everyone and even mentioned that some friends walked out?

I just want to close by saying that like it or not, it is a work of art. Maybe it doesn’t entertain every single individual who sees it. However there is not one film that does.

In any case we are doing a Paul Thomas Anderson special this Thursday. We will review this film one more time as well as look back at the director’s career.

Also Roger Ebert also gave it 3 ½ stars. What I find remarkable is critics who spend so much time tearing apart a great film and focus their review mostly on the negative just to end it by saying something like …

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s an amazing movie. Go see it”

I actually heard two critics on a pod cast say that after ripping it apart.

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Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Ricky --

 It's good to read that you don't give out spoilers on the radio show.  I find that most of my best film experiences are when I know nothing, or as little as possible, before seeing the film.  

I'm not sure about your comment "This film is not for everyone. Mostly for ..." - this implies that I must not be a film student or film maker, or, in a broader stroke of the brush, somehow unable to appreciate film as a form of art.  I'm not sure I want to make any more comment on that...

Regarding your remarks that defend your liking of the film...

- Anderson being more mature as a film maker and artist has little to do with the quality of the film - this is not a stab at the quality of the film, I'm just making the logical argument that maturity does not imply a great film will be made.  I have not followed Anderson's career, but reviewing his filmography, I have to say that I loved Punch-Drunk Love.  I hope that this is not too much of a surprise (I loved Lost in Translation too!).  

-  You mention Dano first, but I think both performances were very strong.  I measure a performance on who I observe in the film - is it Paul Dano, or is it Eli Sunday?  Dano was better as Eli than he was as Paul Sunday, but I did not really think much about the actor Paul Dano because his performance engaged me with the character.  Daniel Plainview was even more engaging as a character.  Day-Lewis may well win the Oscar - but if I compare this to the performance given by Forest Whitaker, the Whitaker performance was stronger in my view.  I walked out of the Telluride screening of The Last King of Scotland thinking "He has won the Best Actor Oscar."  I did not feel that way after Blood.

- Reviewing Jack Fisk's filmography reminds me of several interesting film experiences - and one that was not so wonderful - but let's face it, film making is a team effort.  My perspective on the photography and set design may be skewed as I was sitting in the front row - I usually try for about the 5th row, but this was a full house and my friend and I arrived while the trailers were running.  I do want to see the film again from a not-so-close perspective.  My expectations are that I'll get a much better look on the next screening.

-  I guess I'm not sure what explosion you mean - the initial ignition of the fire or the explosive "blowing out" of that fire...  I suppose I liked the ongoing fire better - as the rig crumbled after burning.

You're right about people having different tastes - I expected to walk away thinking "Wow, that was fantastic" - sort of like I did in Telluride after The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - but Blood was not so much like that... 

Your remarks make me think that you think I did not like the film - I did like it - I liked it a lot.  There are some great lines of dialog in the film - like the bit about the straw and milkshakes - off the top of my head, I liked the line most when Plainview says to Paul Sunday: "If I travel all the way there and find out that you're a liar, I'll find you and take more than my money back, is that alright with you?"

Three and a half stars from Ebert puts the film in contention for his top 10 list - but it has to be one of the best that is so scored.  I was interested to read his review after seeing the film - and to review the "At the movies" talk about it.  On that show the comment was made that Paul Dano was not up to the challenge of keeping up with Day-Lewis.  I think Dano did a fine job.  Think of him - and Episode 15 - I recall that there was some wondering about what films he had been in in the past.  The film I was really surprised that was not mentioned was L.I.E.  That was one of Dano's first films and it was very good.

I think that the professional critics, while really liking the film a lot, are not quite ready to jump to the Citizen Kane comparison.  I think you are right about future generations - but that general statement is true for art in general.  That is, a work of art is often appreciated later rather than sooner...

Well, I have to say (or write, as it is) - I have really enjoyed this dialog and hope that our conversation will draw some others to share their opinions here.

Looking forward to more episodes of The Naked Lunch Radio Show,

Tom 

Re:Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Wow!

I wish I had you has a co host. I jsut want to start by saying that I never meant that you can`t appreciate the film because maybe you never went to film school. I In fact I never went to film school. I was simply stating that them majority of people will not even consider watching this film much less sit through it.  I will also say that from working in a video store and move theatre almost my entire life I have come to learn which movies are for who.

Next I guess maybe I did miss the point and felt that you maybe did not like the film. Glad to see you do and like I said that is good enough for me. 

Tomorrow I wll talk more about the film and Paul Thomas Anderson. I am hoping to read your letter if I have time. I am just curious. Where do you live?

Ricky 

Re:Re:Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Hey i just noticed you are from Denver. Anyhow L.I.E. is amazing and I plan on reviewing it in the near future. Every so often I go back and cover gay related films.

ttyl

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

I'll be looking forward to downloading today's show.  From IMDB's trivia section there is an interesting note on Dano's roles in the film - it reads:

"In an interview on the National Public Radio program "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," Paul Dano told Gross that he had originally been cast in the much smaller role of Paul Sunday, Eli's brother, and another actor had been cast as Eli. However, after Paul Dano had already started filming his one scene as Paul Sunday, Paul Thomas Anderson decided to replace the actor playing Eli. Anderson then asked Dano to play Eli Sunday (a much bigger role) as well as Paul Sunday, and they decided to change the film to make the brothers identical twins. Anderson asked Dano to play Eli on a Thursday, and filming for the role began four days later, on the next Monday. Daniel Day-Lewis, by contrast, had a whole year to prepare to play Daniel Plainview.

There is more to say about the decision noted above - I'll write more after work and listening to the radio show... 

Catch you later,

Tom 

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Ricky -

 The additional commentary I have about Paul Dano playing both Paul and Eli Sunday (and Anderson deciding to make those characters identical twins) has to do with the ambiguity caused my this casting choice.

While driving home from There Will Be Blood, the friend who saw it with me said something like "Okay - so was it that Paul and Eli were the same person?"   As it was that we stayed for most of the credits, my reply was that Paul Dano was credited with playing two characters - Paul and Eli Sunday.  My friend was not convinced, but I argued that Paul mentioned his sisters and a brother to Daniel.  My friend thought that could just have been Eli being clever - creating the expectation of Daniel finding a brother there...  I told him that my guess was that Paul was a separate character who decided to take the opportunity to flee an abusive home life with enough cash to start life on his own.  

My friend thought maybe - or maybe it was Eli all along.  This debate between my friend and I go to why this casting choice is such a good one.  Having the thought "What was it, really" while leaving the theatre shows that the film drives thought, conversation, and debate.  I find it very satisfying to have to wonder what it was - like the much talked about scene in Lost in Translation when Bob whispers something we don't hear into Charlotte's ear.  Nice.

Tom 

P.S. I again enjoyed the Radio Show (Episide 16)... 

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Hey Tom,

I believe I mentioned this breifly in Epsiode 15 but I did not want to get too into it because it would create a spoiler. Yes it is true that he replaced the actor with Paul Dano and according to the interview I saw with P.T. Anderson, Paul Dano play two twin brothers. There is mention of his twin brother at three differant points of the film. I did not want to discuss this on the show because by watching the P.T. Anderson interview I was robbed of a small plot twist that could have made the movie a little more exciting for me.

 My queston for you is should I read this message you sent to me on the sow and discuss it next week or would it ruin things for viewers who still have yet to see the film?

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Episode 15 and the rave over "Blood" - Answer

Ricky --

 I think that there is a touch of spoiler in the content - if one knows that Dano is playing two unique roles, then that knowledge removes the ambiguity I mentioned...  I think it is better unknown for the first-time viewer...

Tom