A director like Paul Thomas Anderson may not have fans following him around with their tongues wagging like Joss Whedon, but in their own way I'd venture to say they are no less rabid. As such, it's been an interminably long five years since There Will Be Blood, and considering all the controversy surrounding his latest film, The Master, the anticipation has reached a fever pitch.
After teasing us with a new poster yesterday, the first full trailer has been released, and now I can see why Tom Cruise got all huffy about it. Essentially a riff on the origins of Scientology, the film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Sutton, a directionless alcoholic who finds new purpose under the guidance of the charismatic Lancaster Dodd(Philip Seymour Hoffman). In post-WWII America, Dodd has channeled much of the country's unease into creating a new belief system, basically out of whole cloth. We see echoes of L. Ron Hubbardd in Dodd almmost immediately; and Anderson wastes no time alluding to the idea of Scientology being a complete work of fiction.
Beautifully shot in 65mm and featuring some incredible ccamerawork, if there's one film I think may eclipse all others this year, it's The Master. Co-starring Laura Dern and Amy Adams, look for it to hit theaters on October 12th. Check out the breathtaking trailer below...
