There Will Be Blood (2007)

Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a simple prospector turned ruthless tycoon after securing the oil rights to a family's goat ranch. Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) is the son of the family and a young charismatic preacher in the town who quickly becomes at odds with the greedy Plainview. Driven by pride and greed, the gentle parlay an unsteady relationship and ultimately live to see the demise of each other.

There Will Be Blood is a masterpiece of storytelling. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel, Oil! is in a word: magnificent.

With minimal dialogue, elegant score, and two brilliantly executed characters, Anderson delivers a film of epic proportions. Daniel Day-Lewis is captivating as the multi-faceted Plainview. The story follows a quarter century of a self-made man and the events that hardened him. Day-Lewis ages along with his character. He turns an honest, hopeful face into a tired and twisted one. Paul Dano owned Eli Sunday with balanced conviction. It was remarkable. Toe to toe, both actors reflect an art form and its the viewers that win.

Darkly vicious, the film examines the human psyche exposing the very worst. It would be uncomfortable if not so effortlessly rendered. The cinematography is stunning and Anderson is right to use it as a pressure release.

There Will Be Blood is a must see for Anderson's Kubrickian execution and mesmerizing performances, but I imagine it will be a very polarizing film. Clocking in at nearly three hours, you're either going to feel cheated or relieved. One thing is for certain... you will be haunted.