Excellent film! Truly superb acting by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman (though PTA’s writing provides a pretty major assist). Really great characters, the Joaquin character in particular is someone you hate and feel sorry for simultaneously. I wanted to know a little more about the motivation of Hoffman’s character, but keeping it vague makes sense for the story. Speaking of the story, I found it deeply disturbing. This to me is way scarier than your average horror flick simply because it taps into stuff that actually exists. In some ways its subject has only gotten more and more relevant since its release in 2012. Young, toxic, insecure men with no direction in life that are subjecting themselves to anti-intellectualism? You could’ve released it during the past five years and it’d arguably be more relevant.

So many memorable scenes that really get to the heart of how cults are able to manifest themselves and survive. Cinematography is excellent, the music is … surprisingly chill for PTA? It’s definitely one of my favorites from him, though it’s one of those films that requires a little bit of film literacy and a mature understanding of the world in order to get and appreciate. Seeing some of the ratings on here doesn’t surprise me, it’s not nearly as accessible as _Boogie Nights_. Just know what kind of viewer you are going into it. If it doesn’t seem like your type of movie, I can guarantee that it won’t be your type of movie.

8.5/10

The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson. In this film, we see some amazing performances by some very talented actors, most notably by Joaquin Phoenix ,who gives possibly the best performance of the year. His ability to transform into other characters surpasses the vast majority of Hollywood actors, and pairing him with an actor as great as Philip Seymour Hoffman makes for some amazing scenes. It's sad to know that we may never have any more performances from such a great actor, but this is a great movie to show your worth through.

The Cinematography was superb with the underlying tone of colours to either symbolise or to juxtapose the emotions being felt by the character at that present moment. Paul Thomas Anderson has again proved that he is on of the most versatile directors with a constant change in style while maintaining an artistic identity and cinematic style.

Now there's lots of films were actors are consistently able to portray characters, but it's written in such a way that the script provides an excuse for us to be shown an emotional power house from these characters. Add that to the ominous soundtrack, amazing cinematography, and cleverly delivered statements on religion,

Modern self-indulgent rubbish. Too long. I gained nothing from watching this. It's nicely photographed, but that is a given in the 21st century. The acting is fine, but this is a review of the movie as a whole. Don't waste your time.

**It's a film for a fairly narrow audience and is very slow paced... too slow.**

Honestly, I expected more from this movie. A certain strong dramatic spark that really justified the time spent watching it. Unfortunately, it seems the only motivation for seeing the film is its criticism of the Church of Scientology, a criticism that, if you read a little about the church and pay attention, is not even implied.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a respected director, especially after the films “Magnolia” and “There Will Be Blood”. I'm not going to discuss that, not least because he's not a director I'm comfortable with (I think, counting this one, I've only seen two of his films). What matters is this film, and here, the director did a good job. It probably not the best of his career, there are very debatable options especially in terms of editing and rhythm, but it's enough.

The cast's work is even better. Joaquin Phoenix gives us an impeccable, intense and very dramatic work, even if it is totally surpassed by the charisma of Philip Seymour Hoffman, a totally accurate choice for the character, who required not only charisma but also leadership, affirmation and authority. The actor, who left us suddenly and quite prematurely, was rightly nominated for an Oscar here. Laura Dern and Amy Adams ensure the main presences in the feminine, and they do it safely, even if in a more discreet way.

On a technical level, the film has some very good points and others not so well developed: if on the one hand we have an excellent collection of sets and costumes, a good recreation of historical periods and places, an excellent cinematography and an enviable filming work, we also have a badly done edition, incapable of giving the film greater drama and some rhythm. I don't know if that was on purpose or not, what I do know is that the movie is disgustingly slow, dull and boring, with tons of lamely written dialogue and a lot of wasted time in between. I was left with the feeling that it would have been perfectly possible, in editing, to cut about half an hour of film without rigorously altering the meaning or running the risk of ruining the story.

And talking about editing invariably leads us to talking about the script. I am not and have never been a member of the Church of Scientology, so I feel free to see a film that openly criticizes it, and also a film that criticizes it more covertly, as is the case. What the film makes clear is the weight of a great leader's charisma for the growth of a cult, but that was something that seemed clear enough to me. There are also some passages in which the film suggests that Scientology (like the “Cause”) is a great hoax, but this is also apparently consensual among the common public, and is based to some extent on testimonies from former members of the church. Regardless, it is not a film that is capable of attracting the masses to cinema, it is a topic for a niche of people already interested in it and not for the general public. And that doomed the film to a tremendous financial failure, considering the capital the production spent on it.

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) es un marino que retorna a Estados Unidos después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y no lo hace con la mente en buen estado; y entra a la vida de Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) el carismático líder de un culto cuasi religioso que propone entre sus seguidores mejorar sus vidas haciéndolos despertar a una nueva y feliz realidad por medio de la concientización de sus vidas pasadas. No sabemos si Freddie gozaba de buena salud mental antes de embarcarse al oriente, pero definitivamente no está nada bien a su regreso. Es un tipo fracasado que no está muy seguro de lo que quiere, alcohólico y que no está muy interesado a adaptarse a un trabajo estable. Su encuentro con Dodd le permite hallar un lugar en donde sentirse seguro, con gente que le dice “Todo está bien, te ayudaremos”, justo lo que necesitamos escuchar los perdedores.

El Culto que busca trascendencia espiritual tampoco parece ir a ninguna parte. Se trata de una novedad a la que le prestan interés algunos círculos de la clase alta pero no deja de ser una curiosidad pasajera, nadie los toma enserio, quizás sólo es un asunto serio para Dodd y su esposa Peggy (Amy Adams) que tiene más influencia en el culto de la que aparenta.

Toda la película parece ir a ninguna parte, no avanza y es un poco lenta. Aún así está toda el área visual. Desde la ambientación y diseño de vestuario, hasta la fotografía y corrección de color. Las actuaciones de Hoffman y Adams son muy buenas, pero quien realmente se destaca es Phoenix. Es un gran actor interpretando un gran papel en una película un poco floja, no me decepcionó pero tampoco cubrió mis expectativas.