The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)

8/10
A few other people have already recapped the plot of The Master here, so I'll skip that. It is a fascinating, gripping movie, but it certainly left me wonder just how deep it is. I guess some might consider it hard to follow, or non-linear, or what have you...I think it's a deceptively simple movie, and I'm not saying that as a negative. Or, more accurately, the movie is simple, but the characters are endlessly complex. Paul Thomas Anderson has created two characters who, in the hands of a less nuanced writer in a different film, would be black-and-white and broadly sketched out. The types of characters are cinematic staples (a post-war drifter and a leader who may or may not have answers) but they're fleshed out in an utterly unique and original way. Of course, special attention must be given to the men bringing those characters to life, Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman's performance is excellence as per his usual standards, and Phoenix's left me damn near breathless at times - I'll be shocked if there's a better performance on screen this year, although kihei makes a good point when he says the performances one-up the film they're in (much as in There Will Be Blood).
The film also looks fantastic, immediately calling to mind Terrence Malick's work (as does much of the movie's structure). Any time you can get your film visually reminiscent of Malick, you're doing something right.
Ultimately, I did find myself wishing there was a little more meat here - the two main characters are fascinating, but to what end? Maybe that's still for me to figure out, or maybe not. Nevertheless, an engrossing and unique experience.