Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” is a fantastic film. Hailed by many critics as a masterpiece, it is nothing short of amazing and cements Anderson as one of the best and brightest directors working today. “There Will Be Blood” is a unique cinematic experience. It is unlike any movie I can recall and even now, less than 24 hours after screening it, I can’t wrap my head around it all.

The film is loosely based on portions of Upton Sinclair’s novel “Oil!” and follows the journey of a man from silver prospector to oil man in California at the turn of the 20th century. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, the man who dedicates his life (and sells his soul?) to becoming an oil man. The majority of the film takes place in Little Boston, California, an area known for goat farming. Paul Sunday has told Plainview that there is oil in the area and after receiving a finder’s fee, disappears. Paul’s twin brother, Eli, is a charismatic preacher who attempts to use Plainview and his oil company, which soon thrives in Little Boston, to help build up his church and his standing.

There’s a lot more going on in this film, so much so that viewers should go with someone so that they can talk about what they saw and what they think it all means. “There Will Be Blood” can certainly be enjoyed without philosophical musings afterwards, but when dealing with themes like oil, capitalism and religion in 20th century America, there has to be some deeper meaning in Plainview’s increasingly heinous misdeeds. Also, while the title of the film is correct and there is blood in the film, it isn’t gory or gruesome. There are several deaths but many of them are accidents occurring at the blossoming oil derricks while the company is beginning.

What makes “There Will Be Blood” good enough to be hailed by some as “the best movie of the year” and “the best movie of the decade”?

First is the acting. Day-Lewis is arguably the best actor working today. He has swept all of the dramatic acting awards thus far for this performance and is a shoo-in for the Oscar. It isn’t even close. It may be a tired expression when discussing an actor’s performance, but it rings true here – Day-Lewis disappears in the role. He is amazing and his performance is worth the price of admission alone. He is joined by Paul Dano – the mostly mute older brother from “Little Miss Sunshine” – as Paul and Eli Sunday. Dano is excellent and his sermons run the gamut from humorous to horrifying. The rest of the cast is solid, especially the performance from Dillon Freasier as Plainview’s son H.W. Freasier’s character doesn’t have much to say but his expressions as he witnesses the birth of the oil company and what happens to him as the company begins to thrive are a big part of the story as well.

Second, the story and screenplay are fascinating and are the engine for the film. Having never read “Oil!” I don’t know how much, if any, of the Plainview-Sunday story is in the novel, but Anderson keeps the movie, which is close to two-and-a-half hours, rolling along. It is a sweeping epic that covers 30 years in the lives of these characters and it feels as dense as a good novel.

Lastly, the direction is just masterful. Anderson has everything working in this film and reflecting on what he was able to accomplish afterwards is breath-taking. The camera work captures all of the ugliness of some of the landscapes and the beauty of others perfectly. His use of Jonny Greenwood’s score is just another example of making the right choice and having it work out fantastically as the score is like a character in the film as well.

At the end of last year, prior to seeing most of the Oscar nominated films, I made a top 10 list. This would be my new number one, followed by “Atonement,” “Juno,” and “No Country for Old Men.”

“There Will Be Blood” is playing at the Carmike 10 in Newnan at 1, 5 and 9 p.m.

*****

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