2008 Woodie Awards
"There will be blood"
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: The Edge
Matt Damon.
Brad Pitt.
George Clooney.
Leonardo DiCaprio.
What do all these men have in common?
They all suck as actors - when compared to the acting talents of Daniel Day-Lewis, the star of Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, "There Will Be Blood."
The film follows the life and times of Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), a callous oil prospector trying to make the big time at any cost during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Upon receiving a tip about a generous oil field in the small town of Little Boston in California, Plainview swindles the landowner into selling the land to him for almost nothing. The landowner's son and two-faced town preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano of "Little Miss Sunshine"), sees what Plainview's intentions truly are and uses the fertile well to further his own ambitions for his church. This begins a lifelong hatred between the two and spirals Plainview into a slow madness that pushes away everyone he cares for.
"There Will Be Blood" was the winner of two Academy Awards this year for Best Achievement in Cinematography and Best Actor in a Leading Role, and these awards could not have gone to any other film.
The scenes during the film managed to achieve a horrible serenity. For example, in one scene Plainview sits and watches idly as his oil tower catches fire and pierces the night sky.
There are many other scenes within the film, which are also beautiful to watch, but none that match that scenes majesty.
Best Actor winner Day-Lewis, who went into retirement after 1997's "The Boxer," came back to the movie scene in 2003 to play Bill "The Butcher" Cutting in "Gangs of New York," which was an awesome performance in itself, though he didn't win the Oscar for his role.
His portrayal of the ruthless oilman is inspiring, if not scary.
After watching his acceptance speech at the Oscars, it is hard to believe the soft-spoken, mild-mannered man can play such over-the-top, mind-blowing characters.
So while Clooney and Pitt make news for blowing their noses and adopting their newest orphan, Day-Lewis makes movies they wish they could. He is, without a doubt, one of the best actors of this or any other generation, and that isn't an understatement.
So grab a milkshake and watch a movie that actually lives up to the hype.
-Dave Hodge
edge editor
Brad Pitt.
George Clooney.
Leonardo DiCaprio.
What do all these men have in common?
They all suck as actors - when compared to the acting talents of Daniel Day-Lewis, the star of Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, "There Will Be Blood."
The film follows the life and times of Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), a callous oil prospector trying to make the big time at any cost during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Upon receiving a tip about a generous oil field in the small town of Little Boston in California, Plainview swindles the landowner into selling the land to him for almost nothing. The landowner's son and two-faced town preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano of "Little Miss Sunshine"), sees what Plainview's intentions truly are and uses the fertile well to further his own ambitions for his church. This begins a lifelong hatred between the two and spirals Plainview into a slow madness that pushes away everyone he cares for.
"There Will Be Blood" was the winner of two Academy Awards this year for Best Achievement in Cinematography and Best Actor in a Leading Role, and these awards could not have gone to any other film.
The scenes during the film managed to achieve a horrible serenity. For example, in one scene Plainview sits and watches idly as his oil tower catches fire and pierces the night sky.
There are many other scenes within the film, which are also beautiful to watch, but none that match that scenes majesty.
Best Actor winner Day-Lewis, who went into retirement after 1997's "The Boxer," came back to the movie scene in 2003 to play Bill "The Butcher" Cutting in "Gangs of New York," which was an awesome performance in itself, though he didn't win the Oscar for his role.
His portrayal of the ruthless oilman is inspiring, if not scary.
After watching his acceptance speech at the Oscars, it is hard to believe the soft-spoken, mild-mannered man can play such over-the-top, mind-blowing characters.
So while Clooney and Pitt make news for blowing their noses and adopting their newest orphan, Day-Lewis makes movies they wish they could. He is, without a doubt, one of the best actors of this or any other generation, and that isn't an understatement.
So grab a milkshake and watch a movie that actually lives up to the hype.
-Dave Hodge
edge editor
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