The Master

[Stewball]

It was like they were shooting it without a script. While they were thinking of what to do next, they just pulled in for a head shot. And then when they thought of what to do, it was all over the place when it wasn't slow and plodding and as neurotic as its characters, particularly Phoenix and Hoffman--neither of which generated any sympathy or offered something with which to identity. Amy Adams was the sole voice of sanity, but she was kept on the periphery. Completely pointless. 2/10

[ayall]

2/10

[Stewball]

I liked There Will Be Blood and think Magnolia is a classic, but this is just vacant bs. Joaquin Phoenix's character is pathetic in the extreme. His talent for mixing intoxicating beverages from god-knows-what-all was his only semi-endearing quirk. I was rooting for the Orientals chasing his ass in one scene.
[spoiler]Lysol!!! Who knows what was in that stuff back in 1950[/spoiler]
If there's something there I'm missing I'm all ears.

[Pickpocket]

I had high hopes but was let down. Love PTA but this was just crap for his standards

[Neonman]

Damn, what's with the negativity, I thought this was the best film I've seen of this year. Incredibly engaging and certainly a film worth paying attention to, due to the fantastic chemistry between the characters of Phoenix and Hoffman (excellently played) -- as enjoyable as this film was to watch, it was also kinda difficult to watch as well as it got closer to the end since I wanted it to finish at the right spot, and it absolutely did.

I'm so keen to see it again, this definitely doesn't seem like a film that will tire from multiple viewings.

[Stewball]

Engaging? What makes you care about any of them or what's going on, except that it's plodding?

[adrian]

I rate The Master below Magnolia, Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood but above Hard Eight and Punch-Drunk Love. It was also my favorite film from 2012 so far. I was engaged from beginning to end by the mise-en-scène, characterizations and of course the superb performances by Phoenix and Hoffman.

[Stewball]

I rate The Master below Magnolia, Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood but above Hard Eight and Punch-Drunk Love. It was also my favorite film from 2012 so far. I was engaged from beginning to end by the mise-en-scène, characterizations and of course the superb performances by Phoenix and Hoffman.

What visual theme? Interminable chiseled in stone closeups? Whatever was there was trumped in spades by Life of Pi's visuals--not to mention Savages, Hyde Park on Hudson, Beasts of the Southern Wild or evenChronicle. And if you're talking about telling a story, what story, "The Life and Times of Dysfunction"? What was engaging, what made you care?

BTW, nothing here is criticizing the quality of the performances. A reader delivering poetry correctly doesn't make it interesting or worthwhile if the poetry itself is gibberish, or glamorizes pathos.

[Dunder74]

I think 2/10 is brutal, but I do agree with some of the points you make. The film is a bit shallow, but I would rather watch the performances of Hoffman and Phoenix and PTA's camerawork than most things.

[Neonman]

Engaging? What makes you care about any of them or what's going on, except that it's plodding?

Trying to decipher what the two main characters are trying to get from each other. It seems clear what both characters want in their lives, but their relationship alludes to some sort of sado-masochism by way of pseduo-science -- both believe the methods Dodd uses on Quell will be successful, and they somewhat are (Dodd utilises his power on Quell, and shows off to his family and admirers, and Quell fills his need for dog-like discipline, which harks back to his war days).

That''s just one of many reasons why their relationship is so intriguing and the film succeeds in given just the right amount of information about it (evident from all the different readings and analyses from different people on the film so far).