2007
Rated R
Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier, and Kevin J. O'Connor

There Will Be Blood is the story of Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), a man who, at the turn of the 20th century, discovers oil and, by 1911, is one of the most successful oil men in California. He runs his business with his young son, H.W. (Freasier). When a young man, Paul Sunday (Dano) sells Plainview a tip that there is oil on his family's ranch in Little Boston, CA, Plainview brings his men up to buy and drill the land.

In Little Boston, Plainview buys the Sunday Ranch as well as most of the neighboring land. He promises prosperity to the town of Little Boston. But Paul Sunday's twin brother Eli (also Dano), a faith healing preacher, wants to get religion involved in Plainview's enterprises, while Plainview has no interest in religion and is a capitalist through and through. The power struggle between Plainview and Eli persists while many other things occur, including an accident which permanently injures little H.W., and an appearance from Plainview's long-lost brother, Henry (O'Connor).

The movie was 2 hours and 40 minutes, but kept me riveted the whole time. Johnny Greenwood's (from Radiohead) score was amazing: tense and heavy. But, by far, the best thing about the film was Day-Lewis' performance. The awards he's won so far were very well-deserved and I'm sure he'll end up with the Oscar. His character was so hard to get a grasp on. He was ruthless, selfish, egomaniacal, and downright scary at times, but I found myself rooting for him, despite all he did wrong.

It was a very good, very intense movie. Highly recommended.