Forgive me if my opinion of this film seems overdramatic, but this was the first movie in a long time that I was actually really excited to see. While driving over to The Grand, a friend of mine provided me with a quick account of what to expect out of this movie, and it sounded right up my alley. After a quick purchase of a $20 bag of popcorn, we sat down in the dark and let an eerie ensemble of strings carry us into a plot that I did not at all anticipate.

As the screen lit up I started to realize that this was another one of those movies that was unlike any ever made before it; a trait which seemed to characterize the 2007 film year. The fact that this movie is an adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s muckraking 1927 novel, Oil!, which follows the son of an oil tycoon, automatically sets it apart from most films.

The film moves a little slow at first as they trace the humble beginnings of Daniel Plainview, a turn of the century prospector played by Daniel Day-Lewis. However, the title does not betray the audience as Plainview’s greed increases and his morality seemingly disappears leaving him as no more than a beast in a rich man’s body. Day-Lewis’ faultless performance as a business man absorbed in his own success left me wondering whether his loss of a conscience was a direct result of his sensational greed or simply a part of his own nature. Whatever the interpretation, all that can be said for sure is that Day-Lewis perfectly captures Plainview in a love-hate relationship with the audience and gives a performance that will be remembered for years to come.

There Will be Blood is already considered by many to be the masterpiece of Paul Thomas Anderson’s career, a largely independent director who is known for creating movies of Titanic length. Anderson’s movies, such as his 2000 release of Magnolia, are generally criticized as being slightly drawn out. This is certainly not the case with There Will be Blood, as I was entirely captivated from start to finish. The film’s unconventional score, straight from the brilliant mind of Radiohead’s own lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, only adds to the plot as it advances through the desolate and deserted setting of New Mexico at the start of the twentieth century.

Whatever your particular movie appetite, There Will be Blood satisfies all genres as an intense drama spotted with comedy in the form of a social commentary from a historical perspective. I laughed, I cried, I threatened and I murdered right in step with Daniel Plainview. I found myself hating him for his immorality, but at the same time I wanted him and no one else to succeed. The movie was truly fantastic, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.