Freddie Quell is a real mess. After being discharged from the US Navy where he served in the Pacific Fleet in WW2 he has serious psychological issues and a fierce short-fused temper that will not allow him to adapt back into civilian life at all, and so he drifts from job to job until one morning after yet another drinking binge he wakes up in California as a stowaway on an ocean bound liner. The ship is taking Lancaster Dodd an enigmatic and dazzling cult leader and his entourage to New York where they intend to spread the word about ‘The Cause’, the movement that Dodd founded and leads. For seemingly inexplicable reasons the two men take an instant like to each other fueled by the fact that Dodd appreciates that the only real talent that Freddie has is for making a lethal concoction made out of paint stripper and any other vaguely alcoholic liquids he can lay his hands on.
Dodd, known by his followers as The Master, welcomes Freddie into his inner circle, but he is determined to control the fiery and stubborn potential new convert and subjects him to some of his very questionable practices designed to get him to discover his true self by revisiting his past lives and also sampling some future ones still-to come. At the same time, Freddie’s relationship with The Master swings dramatically like his own moods, from unbridled devotion one moment to fervent disbelief the next. The Master’s extraordinary bond to his new disciple is not viewed sympathetically at all by his other followers who see Freddie as nothing more than a violent drunk. The Master’s new wife in particular, thinks Freddie is a hopeless case and beyond redemption.
This unreservedly masterful movie is the 6th and latest from cinematic genius Paul Thomas Anderson. Although not based on the life of L Ron Hubbard the founder of Scientology is does bear a striking resemblance, even ending with The Master setting up shop in the UK exactly like Hubbard did before his demise. The movie reunites Anderson with Philip Seymour Hoffman for the 4th time (‘Boogie Nights’, ‘Magnolia’, ‘Punch Drunk Love’) and impossible as it may seem given his resume, Mr Hoffman gives his finest screen performance to date. He perfectly nails The Master as the consummate charlatan and highly successful entrepreneur who just oodles charm to get his own way and when that fails simply reverts to bullying tactics. It is hard not to take your eyes off him as his commanding magnetic presence dominates the whole screen when he goes into creepy preacher mode.
It is however very much Frankie’s movie as played so passionately by one very scary Joaquin Phoenix. He is electrifyingly brilliant as he totally embodies the part of this unhinged damaged man in a career best performance that cannot fail to get him a Best Actor Oscar Nomination (along with Mr. Hoffman). There was however this nagging doubt in my head as I watched Mr Phoenix rant and rave that with his infamous off-screen reputation for temper tantrums how much of this was acting, and how much him being real.
A nod too for Amy Adams who seems to re-invent herself in every role she takes, and this time as the power behind the throne as The Master’s Wife she said little, but meant a lot.
Whilst we Brits may still be the experts in period costume dramas from other centuries, it takes an American such as P T Anderson to so perfectly capture the full richness of a real 1950’s melodrama. Mihai Malaimare, the cinematographer excelled himself with some sensuous and stunning photography to make this a total perfect experience.
Labels: period drama
