BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
My problem with this movie isn’t so much that I didn’t like it. It’s that I should have read a synopsis or a review before going into it. All I knew was that it was critically acclaimed, had award buzz, and Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman is great in it. That’s all I needed. Paul Thomas Anderson wrote, directed, and produced this as well so that’s always an interesting crap shoot. Luckily, all these awesome ingredients wouldn’t go to waste. The movie revolves around Phoenix, playing a man in post-WWII America adjusting to the world around him. He meets a writer played by Hoffman who starts his own religion called “The Cause”. They form a crazy and weird relationship. The rest is narrative. Hoffman’s wife is played by Amy Adams and the rest of the cast is full of quality performances from quality performers. The story was strange until you realize “Wait a minute; this is about Scientology isn’t it?” That’s where me reading a review or a synopsis would have come in handy. Watching it knowing that there is some inspiration from Scientology made is much more interesting. We don’t know if any of it’s really what goes on with their religion, but the mystery and tight-lipped nature makes it really fun to wonder about. The performances were great. Philip Seymour Hoffman probably COULD start his own religion and have a creepy amount of success with it. He’s just a powerful presence in this movie. Amy Adams is just as strong and supportive as Hoffman is powerful. You could understand why sheep would flock to them. Joaquin Phoenix pulls off a character and personality that I really can’t compare to anything else. He is lost, he is confused, and you really never know what he’s doing or saying. You just watch him and hope for the best. The focus of rational seems so jilted that you lose your own perspective and just spectate at what’s going on. Once it’s over, I was left a bit awe struck. It was an experience. As great as the performances and direction was, it was a really exhausting experience. I dug it and I’d recommend it, but I don’t think it’s a movie I’ll be racing to see again anytime soon. See it for yourself though! B
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