Top 25 Performances of the Decade So Far (2010-2014) – March 2015

Picking the 50 best films of the decade so far was incredibly hard, but this was far more difficult. Every year there is a ton of very strong work to choose from – some performances are just incredible, and those are the easy ones to pick, but for the most part there are a lot of performances that just as easily could have made this list. I have put an “*” next to my favorite performance from each year. Anyway, here are my picks:

2010

Christian Bale, a supporting role in The Fighter*

Claire Danes, a leading role in Temple Grandin

Tom Hardy, a supporting performance in Inception

Natalie Portman, a leading Role in Black Swan

2011

Kirsten Dunst, a leading performance in Melancholia

Michael Fassbender, a leading performance in Shame

Rooney Mara, a leading performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*

Carey Mulligan, a supporting performance in Shame

2012

Jessica Chastain, a leading performance in Zero Dark Thirty

Daniel Day-Lewis, a leading performance in Lincoln

Jennifer Lawrence, a leading performance in Silver Linings Playbook

Joaquin Phoenix, a leading performance in The Master*

2013

Cate Blanchett, a leading performance in Blue Jasmine*

Leonardo DiCaprio, a leading performance in The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor, a leading performance in 12 Years a Slave

Adele Exarchopoulos, a leading performance in Blue is the Warmest Color

Michael Fassbender, a supporting performance in 12 Years a Slave

Brie Larson, a leading performance in Short Term 12

Mads Mikkelsen, a leading performance in The Hunt

Lupita Nyong’o, a supporting performance in 12 Years a Slave

2014

Ralph Fiennes, a leading performance in The Grand Budapest Hotel

Edward Norton, a supporting performance in Birdman

Rosamnd Pike, a leading performance in Gone Girl*

Eddie Redmayne, a leading performance in The Theory of Everything

Mark Ruffalo, a supporting performance in Foxcatcher

LeapBackBlog 2013 Film Awards – Part 4: Leading Performances

Film in 2013 was fantastic. We saw tons of wonderful performances, powerfully emotional dramas, hysterical comedies, gripping thrillers, big and entertaining blockbusters, and grand technical achievements. This year was particularly difficult in narrowing down my choices for my favorite films, performances, directors, and technical accomplishments. For example, I loved Amy Acker in Much Ado About Nothing and Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis, but neither quite made the list, and the same can be said for David O. Russell’s wonderful directing in American Hustle or Hoyte Van Hoytema’s sublime cinematography in Her (both just missing out on the list, when they would have made it in most other years). And, there are a number of good films that did not make the list either (and a few I have not yet seen). As it stands, the LeapBackBlog Film Awards are made up, through difficult deliberation, of the films that entertained me and grabbed me as something special, the performances that engaged me, and the craftsmanship that delighted me. These are my favorites of 2013.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 3: Directors

Part 5: Films

Amy Adams – American Hustle

American Hustle is a con film, and like every con there needs to be something or someone that draws your attention away and makes you believe an untrue truth. Amy Adams serves this role in the film playing Sydney Prosser, an American who poses as the elegant British aristocrat Lady Greensley. Adams is fantastic in the role, and even has the audience questioning what is real and which emotions are true, setting up a great reveal and thus making the con work. Adams also uses a very bombastic wardrobe to grab the audience’s (and her mark’s) attention, pulling them him with her smile and a bit of skin. But it is all for show, as it is Prosser’s wit that is her best attribute. Adams had a prolific 2013, which included standout work in not only American Hustle but also in Man of Steel and Her.

Christian Bale – American Hustle

Christian Bale is an actor who just disappears into his characters (and has been a frequent name to pop up on my LeapBackBlog Film Awards), often physically transforming himself to fit the character, and Irving Rosenfeld is no different. American Hustle is a film of big performances, costumes, and hairstyles, but Bales keeps Rosenfeld grounded as the film’s emotional center. He is the character the audience can connect with and relate to – he is their in. Bale has genuine compassion in his performance, an emotional honestly that the audience can latch onto even when everything else seems to be living in the excesses that make the film what it is and a lot of fun. Without Bale’s great performance, to counterbalance the other bigger performances, the film may have collapsed in on itself, as something too remote and disengaged. His is the least flashy, but maybe the best of the performances in the film.

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

Oscar frontrunner (and likely eventual winner) Cate Blanchett is masterful in Blue Jasmine. Her character Jasmine is a woman who is in the midst of a psychological breakdown, and thus Blanchett in a sense needs to create two characters. The first is a prominent, sophisticated woman of means who gracefully and elegantly handles herself, while the other is a woman at the end of her tether a hair-pull away from being completely lost. Blanchett takes these two characters and smashes them together to create Jasmine, a woman who is in moments magnetic and commanding, completely radiant, and then in other moments a wreck, turning to alcohol and pills to forget/escape. It is fascinating yet uncomfortable and sort of tragic to watch. This is undoubtedly a deft and clever performance (one that could not have been played better by anyone else).

Sandra Bullock – Gravity

Sandra Bullock gives one of the year’s most physically challenging performances in Gravity. To create a realistic feeling zero-g environment, Bullock needed to work with puppeteers for what must have been very demanding days, mentally and physically. Her performance as Dr. Ryan Stone is the best of her career to date. She is just superb, having to convey everything with just her eyes, face, voice, and breathing for large portions of the film. She, like the film itself, is utterly enthralling. The audience lives and dies with her, holding onto every emotional moment – her journey becoming their own. Even though Gravity is a film built upon and largely succeeding on its amazing visuals, all of that splendor would have been lost without Bullocks stellar work.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

Watching The Wolf of Wall Street, it is clear that Leonardo DiCaprio is having a blast with his character Jordan Belfort (regardless of whether or not he likes the man). DiCaprio has fully committed to the insane quality of the film and Belfort’s lifestyle, creating a performance that is maybe 2013’s most entertaining. His work is hilarious, but what makes it special is that DiCaprio still keeps the character grounded and creates a person who feels real to the audience despite the craziness that surrounds him (yes, Jordan Belfort is a real person, but it is doubtful that most audience members have heard of him, so in that way the film might as well be fiction). DiCaprio even gets the audience to get behind his character (a mostly despicable man) and root for him. How? Well, he is able to make the man resonate for the audience through emotional honesty in the performance. It is really fantastic work.

Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

There is a real strength to Chiwetel Ejiofor’s performances as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave. He is a man who refuses to be beaten down, to submit to a life that is not his own. This determination both makes his life harder, as just cannot keep his head down constantly calling attention to himself, and ultimately is his saving grace, as he just will not give up until he is reunited with his family. It is impossible to imagine the struggle Northup was forced to undertake (I cannot even begin to create it on any level for myself – it is just too devastating, and I think I would not survive it), and yet Ejiofor’s brilliance brings the audience in and gives them a conduit by which they can take on the experience, and envision themselves in Northup’s place: taking on his pain, feeling his loss, and finally fighting too with his determination so that they too can feel the wave of alleviation wash over them, knowing that they are finally free again. Northup’s circumstances are heartbreaking, and through Ejiofor’s compelling work the audience experiences everything fully, but he was one of the lucky ones. What makes 12 Years a Slave all the more agonizing is that though Northup does eventually get is freedom again so many are left to toil away in dire chains of forced servitude.

Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha

Greta Gerwig is so very charming in Frances Ha, giving a performances that is utterly fun and joyful, yet still emotionally complex. Frances is a girl living in New York trying to find her way, and thus the film serves as a coming-of-age story (even though Frances is mostly an adult already). Gerwig has a fantastic nervous energy throughout. She wants so desperately to embrace life fully, but is at the same time guarded expecting failure and disappointment. This energy creates a very funny vibe to the character that is both entertaining and endearing for the audience. While there are good supporting performances in the film, Frances Ha almost exists as a one-woman show with Gerwig delivering dramatically and certainly comically at the center.

Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station

Recreating a real person is always a little tricky. Michael B. Jordan breathes life into and pays tribute to Oscar Grant (whose life was tragically taken too soon). Fruitvale Station is one of the year’s most emotionally powerful films, and Jordan’s performance is at its center, its driving force. For the film to work, Jordan needed to convey the duality of Grant’s life – a man who was a loving father and good person and a man who still found himself pulled back into the street life (no matter how hard he tried to escape) and all that comes with it (including an attitude). The film speaks to racism still being a constant issue in America, but to escape clichés and to garner a true emotional connection with its audience the film also needed to work on a human level and not just spout lofty ideals. Jordan’s performance does connect deeply with the audience, as he presents a fully fleshed out character. His performance is so good that the film incites action in the audience, as seeing Grant’s death (a man the audience has come to care about) at the hands of overwhelmed transit police officers is just too unthinkably tragic and completely avoidable.

Brie Larson – Short Term 12

Brie Larson is magnificent in Short Term 12 playing Grace, a caretaker at the facility for at-risk youths. It is not only a glowing breakthrough for Larson (reaffirming for those who already know her work and announcing for those who do not that she is a very talented young actress with a bright future), but also possibly 2013’s best performance (right there with Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave). Larson gives a very brave performance as Grace, completely committing emotionally (which must have been very taxing) to a character that is very guarded with deep emotional wounds. Larson pulls the audience in so entirely that her emotional journey is felt fully by each viewer as well, giving the film its power. It is wonderful work that has shamefully been overlooked by many (yes, I am looking at all of you Oscar voters). Larson was also very good in supporting roles in The Spectacular Now and Don Jon in 2013.

Joaquin Phoenix – her 

Theodore Twombly is a character that easily could have been over simplified as being just a sad mope or a weird quirky guy. Joaquin Phoenix brings so much to the character, giving a beautifully complex performance in Her. Theodore is in some respects an everyman – someone the audience can relate to – as he is just like all of us: he is social, has hopes and fears, but is melancholy due to his somewhat recent breakup with his wife. Phoenix is able to emote so fully that the audience finds themselves right there with him emotionally (which all you can really ask from a performance): they laugh when he laughs; they feel pain when he hurts; and they feel hopefully when his future looks a little brighter. It is a subtle performance (that many seem to have overlooked) but nonetheless extraordinary.

her (2013) – Review

Review: Her is a fascinating and aesthetically compelling look at loneliness in the age of modern relationships. The film is about Theodore Twombly, a writer who has recently split-up with his wife and companion since childhood (seemingly not by his choice). Theodore is stuck in the past, the good and the bad memories haunt him and he is unable to move forward, transfixed in a stupor of loneliness and despair in a world that seems closed off. That is until he installs a new intelligent and aware operating system, which names itself Samantha. Theodore finds that he has a real connection and affection for Samantha, and even thinks he might be falling in love with her. But is it just another excuse for him to continue to isolate himself from what is happening outside in the world of actual physical people? The film is set in Los Angeles in the near future.

The concept behind Her is a bit weird – a man who falls in love with his OS. But writer-director Spike Jonze wins the audience over by making his lead character Theodore very relatable and by using the concept as a way to explore the transformation of modern culture, including modern relationships. That is not to say that the film does not exhibit very quirky moments and characters, as it does – because, after all, it is still a film by Jonze, a champion of the aesthetically interesting and conceptually strange.

The look of the film is fantastic. Things more or less feel similar to today, just a bit more compartmentalized with LA (doubled at times by Shanghai’s Pudong district) looking more congested (if that is possible) and featuring a lot more towers, interesting architecture, and more colorful displays and lights (LA becoming more like an Asian metropolis similar to Pudong or Tokyo).  People are often alone in the film, engaged with their electronic devices. Yet there are still people conversing with other people in public as well; it is not a society that has completely become modular, but it certainly seems to be trending that way.

With the advent of this new advanced intelligence and awareness in the OS, people find that they can have full experiences (be it friendship or on a deeper emotional level) without interacting with real people. It is a logical next step in a culture that hires third parties to compose personal correspondence for them (the job Theodore has – he writes letters for people), a culture that is constantly online, whose main method of communication involves technology, a culture that is not too far removed from our own. Already, we interact socially online to such an extent that real life contact is seemingly becoming a secondary activity, reserved only for specific occasions and activities or a particular few people. We are content to communicate via technology, often without the experience of actual human interaction (i.e. sending text messages instead of physically talking to someone in person or on the phone). Convenience has become paramount, overshadowing other forms of interaction. Isolation is also in many ways easier and less stressful. There are so many expectations when one ventures into the world. Isolation and technology offer a protective shield.

Thus, in our world, our culture is it not impossible to believe that the next step involves people engaging in meaningful relationships with objects that emulate human emotion and for all intents and purposes can imitate to the full extent possible the same experience that people can have relationship wise through technology (i.e. conversations via phone, text, email, et al.). If this is possible, what is the difference between engaging emotionally with a real person and software if the interaction is the same? In this way, Jonze makes Her and Theodore’s relationship with Samantha feel real and emotionally vital. This scenario, while maybe conceptually strange, is in fact very believable in context; plus, the audience actually cares about not only Theodore but also Samantha. She might as well be real because her personality and emotions sure seem to be.

And yet, Jonze seems to be making a clear statement with the film that we as a culture have become too dependent on technology as a means of social interaction. The film is completely respectful to Samantha, treating her as an entity just as entitled to existence as Theodore, but it seems to have an overall negative opinion of humanity allowing society to become a grouping of isolated individuals who purposely cut themselves off from the physical social world. Jonze does not like that print is dead. That physical music (like records) is a novelty. That a beach crowded with people actually features very few people who are in large to moderate social groups. He does not like that we all walk around glued to our phones or with earbuds thereby closing ourselves off from those around us. In this way, the film is actually really sad.

Theodore is extremely lonely, almost cripplingly so. He is so affected by his breakup with Catherine (his wife) that he just cannot imagine jumping into another real physical relationship. There is a gloomy cloud that follows him around (despite his rather bright wardrobe choices). He is just a sad individual, and to some extent has every right to be.  It is difficult to lose what you believe is everything you ever wanted, to lose the person you thought was everything you needed. In this way, Theodore is very relatable for the audience. We have all been there (to varying degrees). Heartbreak is a powerful emotional experience, one that often holds us back. We can recognize ourselves in Theodore – his sadness, his loneliness, his guarded hope that maybe one day he will be happy again, and his fear of being hurt again. Samantha too engages us. She too wins us over with her spunkiness and charm, her wonder, joy, and excitement for life. It is infectious, because for us life has become mundane and tedious (maybe not all the time, but enough that we are drawn in by visceral passion).

But, Jonze’s argument against what our culture has becomes starts to become more and more apparent as Theodore’s relationship with Samantha develops and changes. Humans need physical interaction. It is a vital part of our ability to experience life and emotions fully. We are so lonely and life has become so tedious because this physical interaction (and not just random meaningless sex) is a necessary component and it is missing. We need to experience the world and not just look at pictures; we need to have things in our hands to fully engage in the experience (be it reading an actual book, playing an actual sport or game, taking the record out of its sleeve and putting on the player) rather than just looking at the same screen all day. We need to do these activities with other people who are there in person and not just avatars online, because at that point does it even matter if they are real or not.

Her works because it is touching and emotionally captivating, and to some extent a rallying call to get out there and live our lives. We care about these characters and see ourselves in them (our own hopes, dreams, insecurities, and pain). And on top of all that, Jonze presents a world that is vibrant with aesthetically alluring sights and sounds. The film is a masterwork of style, narrative, and emotional resonance.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Spike Jonze is known for his catalogue of great and interesting music videos (including The Breeders’ Cannonball, Weezer’s Buddy Holly, the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage, Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice, and Kanye West’s Flashing Lights). Jonze has also made some of the most creatively striking and eccentric commercial films. His first two, collaborating with writer Charlie Kaufman, are both great: Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. His third was the uneven adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. While aesthetically quite good, it just does not work once Max is immersed in his imaginary world where base emotions rule. With Her, Jonze has made his best film to date. It is just as aesthetically dynamic and interesting as anything he has made, but where it really succeeds is in its ability to capture and really speak to both the plague of social technology that is actually making mankind antisocial and the emotional consequences that have arisen as a result (chiefly an unshakable collective loneliness). I also really like Jonze’s creative imagining of Theodore’s interaction with others (both human and software) online. The sex chat room scene is hilarious and the Alien Child in the game is equally hysterical. Despite the film having a deep sadness to it, I enjoy that Jonze still infuses it with humor and a sense of hope for the future.

Across the board the film is among this year’s best aesthetically speaking. Arcade Fire’s (working with Owen Pallett and Karen O as well) score is fantastic. It perfectly captures the emotional tone of the film, while also fitting the stylistic look as well. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is exceptional. The colors are radiant, yet the sky seems to have solemn tone (probably because both LA and Shanghai have a ton of pollution that sort of just hangs in the air) creating a striking juxtaposition.  K.K. Barrett’s production design is really the standout technical achievement, however. His work too is mostly features a very subdued color pallet, which allows Theodore to really pop (with his red shirts). The overall set design is phenomenal as well (I wish Theodore’s flat was my own). The whole look feels very artistic and specific to the narrative and tone.

The cast too is wonderful. Portia Doubleday, Kristen Wiig (in a voice-role), and especially Olivia Wilde are great in small supporting roles. Chris Pratt is also fantastic and hilarious in a small supporting role. He just brings so much energy and charisma even with a tiny amount of screen time. The same can be said for Rooney Mara. She is mesmerizing as Catherine, even though she is mostly featured in flashbacks and has little screen time. She is able to convey so much in so little time, and her work is paramount to fully understanding Theodore. She is brilliant. Amy Adams just seems to be a chameleon this year. From her work in Man of Steel and American Hustle to her work in this, she plays completely different, yet all engaging, characters. Here, she plays Theodore’s friend Amy, a game designer who (of course) is a little quirky but feels alive and vital (she is not just the typical pixie dream girl). She is Theodore’s connection to humanity. Scarlett Johansson voices Samantha, giving her so much life and substance that the audience completely forgets that she is nothing more than hyper intelligent software – she is alive as far as the audience (and Theodore) is concerned. It is quite a feat considering that she gave her whole performance in a vocal booth without the interaction of the other actors. Joaquin Phoenix too is excellent as Theodore. He is able to emote so much, the audience can feel everything he feels. He is also able to make Theodore a complex character. He is primarily sad and lonely, but there is much more going on as he struggles with past scares/joys and future hopes/fears. It is among 2013’s best leading performances.

Summary & score: Her is a romance unlike any other conceptually, but through the skill of Spike Jonze and his cast it is able to perfectly capture the modern human condition in our culture of social isolation. 9/10

LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 4: Leading Performances

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 3: Directors

Part 5: Films

Christian Bale – The Dark Knight Rises

Reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman for the third time, Christian Bale is again astonishing in The Dark Knight Rises (in what is easily an overlooked performance given the genre and how seamlessly and natural Bale plays the character). While in the past two films Wayne is a pillar of strength in the community, here Bale plays him as a broken man, both figuratively and literally. Even when he returns to being Batman, his heart is not really in it anymore, and Bale lets the audience see his crushed will and injured spirit while still putting on the guise of confidence and strength. This only makes his true return all the more dramatically powerful. Bale is known for his brilliant performances (films like American Psycho, Rescue Dawn, and The Fighter), and while this might not be as flashy it is equally as layered and just as strong.

Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

Jessica Chastain had a breakout year in 2011 and has followed it up with another strong year. Playing Maya the CIA agent in the field that devotes herself totally for over a decade to finding and killing Osama bin Laden, she is brilliant in Zero Dark Thirty (and will likely win an Oscar for her work). She has the tough role of being strong even in the most emotionally crippling situations, but also must be vulnerable enough to let the audience in – and she finds the perfect balance. Chastain also captures the toll that the stress and drive takes on Maya. She has a very bright career ahead of her, as she is already among the best actress working right now.

Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook

Who knew Bradley Cooper was capable of such a good performances? Well, David O. Russell apparently. Cooper gives the best performance of his career to date in Silver Linings Playbook as Pat (which should open doors for better leading man work for him in the future and not just crappy romantic comedies). Cooper plays Pat with a mix of compassion and hostile energy. The performance seems to constantly teeter on the edge of completely exploding with nervous rage, which absolutely pulls the audience in. But, the audience also likes Pat and is behind him because they see that Pat is capable of love and really does want to get his life together. It is very strong work by Cooper (in a year with at least fifteen or so male leading performances could have made this list).  

Marion Cotillard – Rust and Bone

Aside from the practical challenge of playing a character that loses both her legs below the knee, Marion Cotillard also has to play the deep depression felt by her character Stephanie in Rust and Bone. What makes the performance so compelling is Stephanie’s emotional journey back. Cotillard is phenomenal, as she perfectly captures the strength and drive of Stephanie. The audience is heartbroken and inspired all in the same dramatic arc. Cotillard is also very good in Little White Lies and The Dark Knight Rises this year.

Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis is not so much playing a character in a film as much as he seems to be channeling Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. It seems silly to say that, as I have no idea what Lincoln was actually like or how he sounded when he talked, but Day-Lewis just seems so completely lost in the character that it does not even occur to me that he is not actually Lincoln. That is what he does, he just becomes his characters, and is maybe the greatest actor working right now.

Keira Knightley – Anna Karenina

Keira Knightley just seems to excel in costume period dramas, especially when working with Joe Wright. Anna Karenina is their third collaboration together. Knightley is able to bring the extreme highs and lows of Anna’s tragic relationship with Count Vronsky to life by completely giving herself over to the role. Anna thinks she is above high society and can live outside their rules, only to pay the price and lose everything. Knightley pulls the audience in with her naïve charm and strength, and breaks their heart with her fall, filled with crazed fits of jealousy and anguish. Though she gets a lot of criticism (especially among English journalists, who often try to tear down their own), she has really emerged as one of the top actresses of her generation with continued great work.

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Jennifer Lawrence had a great 2012. She starred in a huge blockbuster in The Hunger Games cementing her as one of Hollywood’s biggest young female stars (probably with Emma Stone, Kristen Stewart, and Emma Watson) and she was nominated for her second Oscar in Silver Linings Playbook. She is brilliant in the film, bringing a ton of energy and strength to the role of Tiffany, a young widow also dealing with mental issues. She is electric, making ever scene better and stealing the film (which also features great work from Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro). It is my favorite female leading performance of the year.

Leslie Mann – This Is 40

This Is 40 takes both a realistic and comically exaggerated look at modern relationships. At its center is a fantastic performance by Leslie Mann, who plays Debbie – a mom and wife who just wants her life to be perfect and tries to control everything around her to make it so, but this leaves her feeling frustrated, disappointed, and ultimately unhappy as things fall short of her expectations. Mann, however, is great in the film because she also can see her own flaws and wants to change, it is just difficult, which brings a very relatable aspect to her performance – the relationship troubles in the film between Debbie and Pete are almost too real for a comedy (and that is thanks to the good work by Mann and Paul Rudd).

Joaquin Phoenix – The Master

Freddie Quell, Joaquin Phoenix’s character in The Master, is an absolute scoundrel. His destructive nature ruins and destroys any possible good that might come his way, yet his struggle to find a place in post-WWII America is utterly compelling because Phoenix brings so much to the character. He is an unpredictable train wreck and the audience cannot take their eyes off him, wanting to see what he will do next, but there is also an inner depression that allows the audience to feel for him as well. It is my favorite male leading performance of the year.

Denzel Washington – Flight

The character of Whip Whitaker in Flight is one of the more difficult roles of 2012 because the character is an unlikable protagonist. Denzel Washington is able to get the audience behind Whip by bringing his usual swagger and confidence to the character. He also plays Whip to have a deep sadness behind the confidence, which allows the audience to sympathize and care about him even after his self-destructive behavior. Washington is so good in the film that the audience roots for him to come out on top, when he clearly has a problem and needs help. It is very good work and among Washington’s best.

The Master (2012) – Review

Review: The Master is the work of a proficient filmmaker, utilizing the medium to artfully tell his narrative and connect with the audience. The film is about a Naval combatant, Freddie Quell, returning from WWII who just does not seem to fit into society anymore. The horrors of war have emotionally scarred him. He drifts aimlessly from one odd job to the next until he is drawn in by a charismatic cult leader, Lancaster Dodd, who takes an interest in him.

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson takes a more experimental approach to his narrative with The Master. The film is not so much about Freddie’s story; rather it is more about his internal emotional struggle – his un-abating loneliness. There is a hole in Freddie that he just cannot seem to fill (he often turns to alcohol as an escape). We are shown pieces that when put together reveal Freddie’s emotional journey. However, Anderson does not just do this with story. He uses all available tools, taking full advantage of the score, photography and production design to both relate Freddie’s inner struggle in a more visual manner and to also play on the emotions of the viewer (especially with the score). The structure is not entirely straightforward either, exploiting flashbacks multiple times to drive deeper into the root of Freddie’s issues. In the present, the narrative only shows the viewer the most important of moments, constantly jumping forward escaping the mundane. This results in many of the scenes, particularly those between Freddie and the Master (Dodd), being electric and utterly compelling and engaging. They command the audience’s attention, as the viewer hangs on each word and action. The writing and performances are fantastic in this regard as well.

Anderson also has given a lot of emphasis to the characters as well. They are very well drawn and all given moments that are exploited for the audience to really understand them. However, what is interesting is that none of them is particularly likable (which is somewhat uncommon in filmmaking, especially in Hollywood movies). While unlikable characters can put some audience members off, as they cannot connect to people they do not like, Anderson uses humor and gives them a real humanity by not just making them flawed but also by making them seem real (the actors playing their characters with a combination of stylized naturalism) by having them engaging in ordinary tasks while emoting to overcome their un-likability. A good example of both is Freddie and Dodd sharing Freddie’s homemade brew. Their back-and-forth is very natural and funny.

Anderson uses humor throughout the film to temper the drama as well. The film is very heavy in many cases, as Freddie’s internal struggle affects the audience emotionally. He just seems to get in his own way and destroy all the good work he has done, which can be hard on an audience with a stake in him. Thus, the humor lightens the tone slightly and gives the audience a release and break from the emotional weight.

While The Master is exceptionally well made, the experimental nature of the narrative (both temporally and aesthetically, with some of the visual themes feeling very much like a Terrence Malick film – without all the voice-over narration – ‘man in nature’ or ‘man’s corruption’) will not work for all viewers. There is also not much action in the film, as all the scenes are about developing the characters (through dialogue or visually). Casual viewers looking for pure entertainment (might be surprised and find this very engaging as it is fantastic, but probably) will find this too slow and maybe even boring. The film is a bit weird – stemming from the music, the odd characters and the narrative structure, and again it is not going to work for everyone.

However, for those that do enjoy more aesthetically pleasing and thoughtful films, The Master is one of the best of 2012. It features wonderful characters, magnificent visuals and wholly dynamic scenes.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Paul Thomas Anderson has made six films, all of them very good. However, his last two (this and There Will Be Blood) have displayed a complete deftness for filmmaking – every aspect working together to create a fully cinematic and visceral experience. These films are layered, demanding multiple viewings to take in all the character and emotional drama to fully (if that is possible) understand the journey Anderson is taking the viewer on with the narrative. He is among the great auteurs working today (and in cinema history).

The Master, overall, is a phenomenal display of aesthetic brilliance. Jonny Greenwood’s (of Radiohead) score is consuming. It plays with the emotional state of the audience, often putting them ill-at-ease, which makes the drama and odd nature of Freddie or the more compelling and affecting. Like Freddie, the audience is never comfortable – it is remarkable work (here is a sample). Mihai Malaimare Jr.’s cinematography is beautiful in many places, exploiting the elegance and power of nature. His use of light and focus is also top notch. And, the framing and mise en scene is wonderful as well (I love the shot of Freddie running away through the barren field – if feels iconic for the film). Malaimare Jr. and Anderson have created one of the best shot films of 2012. David Crank and Jack Fisk’s production design is also of high aesthetic quality. The film has both a naturalistic and sort of exaggerated feel to it (and being that those seem to be contradictory, balancing the tone must have been difficult). The design work plays off this antagonism by having the characters look very natural and realistic but often occupy space that seems a bit off (like Dodd’s office at the school, which is my favorite set in the film).

 The performances are excellent throughout the film. W. Earl Brown, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ambyr Childers, and Rami Malek are good in small roles. Amy Adams has a real power and control in her supporting role. She seems very kind and gentle on the outside, but behind closed doors seems to be the true force behind the Cause. Philip Seymour Hoffman (as usual) is utterly brilliant. He dominates the screen, almost daring the viewer to look away. Dodd is completely flawed and seemingly lost, and yet also fully engaged and enamored with himself, which gives him boundless confidence. The performance is among his best work. Joaquin Phoenix has been a great actor for years, but seemingly under the radar (even with his Oscar nomination for Walk the Line) – that is no more with this performance. Freddie is the classic kind of character who is a walking emotional wrecking ball, obliterating anything good that might be coming to him. And yet, he plays Freddie with such an inner sadness, that the audience cannot help but relate to him, even when he is completely unlikable – a scoundrel.

Summary & score: The Master is an absolute cinematic joy to partake in – to experiences the mastery of a true auteur. 9/10