There Will Be Blood - a film by Paul Thomas Anderson

Jim Klatt said:
"bastard in a basket! bastard in a basket!" :)
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As much as I bashed this film about 15 pages back, I loved that line and I repeat it all the time.

One of my other favorite lines is when the guy asks "Is HW OK?" and DDL calmly replies, "No. No, he's not."
 
cinematical said:
Either PT Anderson was maliciously taking advantage of the audience's willingness to believe the world of the film, or he was actually naive enough to put that in.
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There you go trying to read PT's mind again! Stop doin' that, foo'!:costumed-smiley-047
 
That's not mind reading - those are simply the only two possibilities I can think of for why that incredibly juvenile line is in such a serious psychological work.
 
First off, why is the line juvenile? Is it because it rhymes? Seriously. I don't know why it is juvenile?

I've seen the movie twice and I didn't bat an eyelash at that line. It was perfectly natural.

I don't remember the last time I came out of a theater quoting or impersonating a character so much. My friends were all walking and talking like Plainview the minute we exited the theater.

DDL is the only actor I know these days who could get away with such an over-the-top performance within the context of that film. His performance carries so much weight. He is the best. Somebody has got to get him in the same room with the fierce Cate Blanchet for a film before they die or retire. She exhibits a similar, visceral weight in her performances that are so intense and real.

Somebody make it happen! I'll direct. :)
 
Its refreshing to see a film made differently in the mainstream. My hat is off to PTA and DDL for realizing this film and convincing studios for wide distribution in theaters. I know people who hate this film to the point that spit comes out of their mouths. The biggest turn off are the first 20 minutes. No dialogue. Imagine that.
 
Jim Klatt said:
First off, why is the line juvenile? Is it because it rhymes? Seriously. I don't know why it is juvenile?

I've seen the movie twice and I didn't bat an eyelash at that line. It was perfectly natural.

I don't remember the last time I came out of a theater quoting or impersonating a character so much. My friends were all walking and talking like Plainview the minute we exited the theater.

DDL is the only actor I know these days who could get away with such an over-the-top performance within the context of that film. His performance carries so much weight. He is the best. Somebody has got to get him in the same room with the fierce Cate Blanchet for a film before they die or retire. She exhibits a similar, visceral weight in her performances that are so intense and real.

Somebody make it happen! I'll direct. :)
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http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Brother+From+Another+Mother

It's a slang term very often used in films and sketches for humor and also to denote the urban culture of the person speaking the line (off the top of my head, Shark Tale has the character voiced by Will Smith saying it - good lord, why do I know that).

Everyone in the theater I saw the film in started cracking up at that line - not in an "oh, that's intentionally funny" kind of way, but a "why would they put that in there?!" kind of way. Every one of the people I saw the film with commented on the use of that line. Did nobody in anyone else's theater laugh at that part? Was this a freakishly isolated reaction?

But yes, Daniel Plainview is eminently impersonate-able. So many skits and shorts have popped up in the short time since the film's release - it is a testament to DDL's performance.
 
i saw it at the ArcLight only a few weeks ago, and it definitely got a reaction from the audience but the tone of the laughter wasn't disparaging.
 
The line just ripped me out of the world of the film. I think that's my biggest problem with There Will Be Blood - the power and intrigue of DDL's portrayal of Plainview pulled me in, and yet throughout the film there were things that kept tearing me out. I so wanted to become absorbed in Plainview's psycopathic world, but the things I consider misques (like the line, or the length, or the fact that Dano's character doesn't age, or Anderson's incessent decision to hold shots far longer than necessary) repelled me. And so I got stuck. I wanted to love the film, but I couldn't, and can't.
 
The "brother from a different mother" line definitely pulled me out of the film a bit, but no where near as much as the "your mother is dead, Llwelyn" line from No Country...
 
The difference I see between the two lines is that the No Country example felt like an attempt to produce darkly witty/effective writing that, depending on your opinion, may have backfired (I personally felt it worked perfectly, fitting in to the character - but I can see why some might consider it unrealistic/jarring). With the TWBB line, it just felt foolish to me.
 
I thought this film was brilliant on many levels.

DDL was astounding. As was most of the cast actually.
The cinematography was excellent, the film breathed oil.

I'm surprised to read so much criticism for it.
I'll definitely be watching it again over the holidays.

MAH
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I thought this film was brilliant on many levels.

DDL was astounding. As was most of the cast actually.
The cinematography was excellent, the film breathed oil.

I'm surprised to read so much criticism for it.
I'll definitely be watching it again over the holidays.

MAH
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Totally agree with you Mike! Have to rewatch it soon. Noisy people in the cinema ruined it a bit for me. Especially in the beginning.
 
I saw this last Valentine's Day, alone, and it was one of the best theater experiences I have ever had.

It was an added bonus that all the couples were pissed off at the end of the movie.

I loved the quietness of the opening. And DDL is such a joy to watch.
 
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