Every so often a film arrives packaged in so much critical adulation that it’s hard to see it clearly. Certainly, the new film by Paul Thomas Anderson is beautifully made. Yet many will leave the cinema puzzled as to what all the fuss is about.
Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a shell-shocked, booze-soaked World War II veteran. When he stows away on a party boat, he meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a self-made mystic leading a quasi-religion called ‘The Cause’.
The two strike up a curious, father/son-style relationship, even though Quell poses a threat to The Cause’s stability. This relationship forms the crux of the film but, aside from a few blistering scenes, it is one sketched in broad, loose strokes. The men are never quite sure what they mean to one another, and neither are we. Some critics have found depth in the gaps Anderson leaves, but this takes some digging on the part of the viewer.
Still, the opening scenes are so seductive that it takes most of the film for their spell to wear off.
But just when we’re sobering up, Anderson seems to descend into fantasy. It’s as if he changes his mind about Dodd for the final act.
Ultimately, it’s a film of stunning performances and beautiful set pieces. While its sparse and stumbling narrative doesn’t quite earn its epic run-time, The Master provides one of this year’s most sumptuous cinematic experiences.
