I recently watched two Oscar nominated films; the first was the legal thriller Michael Clayton starring George Clooney. It was an entertaining film and the kind that usually does well at the Oscars with its liberal anti-corporation message that makes the voters feel good about themselves. That being said, it was a compelling film with standout performances from the supporting cast Tom Wilkerson and Tilda Swinton-who both received supporting nominations.
The other film was Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic There Will Be Blood staring the always-impressive Daniel Day Lewis. The cinematography and sparse, haunting score by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood added texture to the context of the film. The story of greed, oil, and naked capitalism in the face of humanity and spiritualism warrants another viewing despite the 2 hour 44 minute running time. The ending is s cipher that leaves the viewer contemplating what happened and what the filmmaker wants the viewer to take away from the film.
Comments