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THE MASTER
(directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
CULTS! In the 1950's. With Joaquin Phoenix as a member. You know you have to see it -- or do you? The Master, a tale of a young, reckless, job surfing man who winds up becoming a surrogate family member among a bunch of wacko, past life exploring, trying-to-become-superhuman cult members led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, is intriguing and in my opinion, a necessary watch for everybody, but the movie did not leave me breathless.
The first 25 minutes are spent focusing on Joaquin Phoenix before he gets involved with the cult. We see him hanging out on a beach with his World War II buddies, building a giant naked woman sand sculpture, which he masturbates to in the ocean. Later in the movie, Philip Seymour Hoffman gets masturbated by Amy Adams -- lots of masturbation in this movie. Lots of naked women are also seen, but only the tip of an ass crack belonging to Joaquin Phoenix is shown. Miss Vicky, take note.
After he gets out of the war, Joaquin tries a few jobs. At first he's a department store photographer. There's a moment in the department store where a prostitute -- very well dressed and not sleazy looking at all -- is going around and approaching people by opening her coat and saying, "$45." I did NOT even realize she was a prostitute until after Joaquin Phoenix bought her. I thought she was some sort of clothes model who was trying to get people interested in the dress she was wearing and make them buy it for $45!
I have to say, though, I kinda blame the movie for that. This movie is... hard to take. I mean, I had to get up and get a beer during it -- this movie is basically a film about mental illness. It's like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or something. All of these characters are mentally messed up!
And, it's also really surprising that Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar in this -- he acts a lot like Joaquin Phoenix to me. At least, the Joaquin Phoenix I remember well from I'm Still Here. Both the Joaquin Phoenix from that movie and the "Freddie" character he plays in The Master are crazy, rollicking, sex obsessed, substance abusing laughing idiots. It's as if Joaquin Phoenix chose this script just because it would be easy for him to do. Maybe I'm Still Here was real and The Master is just something he did to ease back into the film business after failing at hip hop music?
The scenes with the cult members are mildly bizarre (in a moderately bizarre movie overall) and sometimes they get boring and practically pointless, such as a scene in which Joaquin Phoenix keeps touching walls and windows. The film is said to be based on the Scientology religion, with Hoffman's character based on L. Ron Hubbard, but many sources, probably out of fear, deny that it's based on Scientology. However, I believe Paul Thomas Anderson is on record saying L. Ron Hubbard inspired him. The film plays out like how you could imagine Scientology must have started off in its early days -- books being written, meetings taking place, old ladies getting robbed of all of their money, etc. etc. Eventually, the cult of this movie - called "The Cause" - gets bigger and bigger and extends its membership to schools in England, where Philip Seymour Hoffman's "Master" character later moves to.
What's surprising about The Master is that there's not much drama involving a struggle for Joaquin Phoenix to get out of the cult. In fact, I would even say it's sort of positive towards the idea of having something above you and controlling your life. "We all have masters" -- if I'm quoting that right -- is something said by Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, Lancaster Dodd.
The Master is very beautiful to look at (on Blu-ray) and at times, interesting and perhaps memorable. The use of aggressive psychology on board a boat at one point made the film feel something akin to Dr. Phil Takes Titanic.
Just don't get yourself involved with cults and sociopathic cult leaders, my friends. Let this movie be a lesson to you that there are dangerous, psychotic people in the world who are defective and who want your money, your life, and your soul. Demonstrating this very fact is the greatest thing this movie has got going for it.
(directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
CULTS! In the 1950's. With Joaquin Phoenix as a member. You know you have to see it -- or do you? The Master, a tale of a young, reckless, job surfing man who winds up becoming a surrogate family member among a bunch of wacko, past life exploring, trying-to-become-superhuman cult members led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, is intriguing and in my opinion, a necessary watch for everybody, but the movie did not leave me breathless.
The first 25 minutes are spent focusing on Joaquin Phoenix before he gets involved with the cult. We see him hanging out on a beach with his World War II buddies, building a giant naked woman sand sculpture, which he masturbates to in the ocean. Later in the movie, Philip Seymour Hoffman gets masturbated by Amy Adams -- lots of masturbation in this movie. Lots of naked women are also seen, but only the tip of an ass crack belonging to Joaquin Phoenix is shown. Miss Vicky, take note.
After he gets out of the war, Joaquin tries a few jobs. At first he's a department store photographer. There's a moment in the department store where a prostitute -- very well dressed and not sleazy looking at all -- is going around and approaching people by opening her coat and saying, "$45." I did NOT even realize she was a prostitute until after Joaquin Phoenix bought her. I thought she was some sort of clothes model who was trying to get people interested in the dress she was wearing and make them buy it for $45!
I have to say, though, I kinda blame the movie for that. This movie is... hard to take. I mean, I had to get up and get a beer during it -- this movie is basically a film about mental illness. It's like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or something. All of these characters are mentally messed up!
And, it's also really surprising that Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar in this -- he acts a lot like Joaquin Phoenix to me. At least, the Joaquin Phoenix I remember well from I'm Still Here. Both the Joaquin Phoenix from that movie and the "Freddie" character he plays in The Master are crazy, rollicking, sex obsessed, substance abusing laughing idiots. It's as if Joaquin Phoenix chose this script just because it would be easy for him to do. Maybe I'm Still Here was real and The Master is just something he did to ease back into the film business after failing at hip hop music?
The scenes with the cult members are mildly bizarre (in a moderately bizarre movie overall) and sometimes they get boring and practically pointless, such as a scene in which Joaquin Phoenix keeps touching walls and windows. The film is said to be based on the Scientology religion, with Hoffman's character based on L. Ron Hubbard, but many sources, probably out of fear, deny that it's based on Scientology. However, I believe Paul Thomas Anderson is on record saying L. Ron Hubbard inspired him. The film plays out like how you could imagine Scientology must have started off in its early days -- books being written, meetings taking place, old ladies getting robbed of all of their money, etc. etc. Eventually, the cult of this movie - called "The Cause" - gets bigger and bigger and extends its membership to schools in England, where Philip Seymour Hoffman's "Master" character later moves to.
What's surprising about The Master is that there's not much drama involving a struggle for Joaquin Phoenix to get out of the cult. In fact, I would even say it's sort of positive towards the idea of having something above you and controlling your life. "We all have masters" -- if I'm quoting that right -- is something said by Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, Lancaster Dodd.
The Master is very beautiful to look at (on Blu-ray) and at times, interesting and perhaps memorable. The use of aggressive psychology on board a boat at one point made the film feel something akin to Dr. Phil Takes Titanic.
Just don't get yourself involved with cults and sociopathic cult leaders, my friends. Let this movie be a lesson to you that there are dangerous, psychotic people in the world who are defective and who want your money, your life, and your soul. Demonstrating this very fact is the greatest thing this movie has got going for it.