The Master

Review by Sean Lynch

When it comes to watching movies, it's not dissimilar to approching an all you can eat table. While there may be plenty of delicious things on offer you would normally love to eat, sometimes you are craving something specific - if you want a hamburger, sometimes an icecream just isn't going to hit the spot no matter how delicious.

The same can be said for films. Sometimes a broad comedy just won't do if you are in the mood for a bit of self loathing, or a big budget blockbuster might not even register a flicker of interest in your brain if you are feeling numb inside and just want to escape into the world of arthouse.

Paul Thomas Anderson films (which include classics such as Punch Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood) are best viewed only if you are in the right mind frame for it. That's not to say his films aren't utterly sublime and, at times, near perfect... but they can be tough to get through if you've just ingested eight cans of Red Bull.

Thankfully with his latest, The Master, I saw in just the right mood : ready to let the slow burning character piece burrow it's way into my soul.

The set up is, surprisingly, quite simple. After returning from sea while serving during the Second World War, having witnessed the numerous horrors such an event inflicts, a lost drifter (a career best Joaquin Phoenix) stumbles upon a charismatic intellectual (the always consistent Philip Seymour Hoffman) who is in the midst of creating a faith based organisation in an attempt to provide meaning to his life.

The man becomes known simply as "The Master", and soon this former drifter becomes his right-hand man... but it isn't long before he begins to question both the belief system, The Master and his own sanity.

The Master is slow-moving film making at it's best, beautifully shot in gorgeous 70mm and accompanied by Jonny Greenwood's unmistakeable score.

Anderson lets his players make all the moves here, letting the camera just witness the masterclass of acting on offer. There are several scenes throughout the film between Hoffman and Phoenix that should, and will, be studied for years to come - they are simply that wonderful.

There's also quite a lot to ponder in The Master regarding self, faith, destiny, the power and effectiveness of religion, human nature and our primal need for guidance and, of course, the soul (themes which I would love to sit down and write a thesis on... but that's hardly appropriate for a review in which people simply want a star rating) and if you are willing to give into the performances and the lucious 1950s world of Anderson's creation you will feel nothing less than utterly rewarded.

I will stress again, ENSURE YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT MOOD for this film to appreciate it fully. If you've had a wonderful day in the sun, steer clear. The best way I can describe it is go in hungover (as you would for, say, a Wes Anderson movie or The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Crawford), where your mind is incapable of being anything other than empty, that way your mind can be fully captured by The Master's magic.

Possibly Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix's best work ever - about ten minutes shy of being a true timeless masterpiece

4 out of 5

The Master
Australian release: 8th November, 2012
Official Site: The Master
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, David Warshofsky, Laura Dern, Lena Endre
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson