This film is an acting tour-de-force for Daniel Day-Lewis. He plays a man with no redeeming characteristics yet holds you spellbound with his intensity and skill. Paul Dano, who was so good as Little Miss Sunshine’s brother, also gives an outstanding performance. Lewis is Daniel Plainview, a man for whom oil is the only thing that matters; a man who looks at people and finds nothing worth liking; a man whose competitive drive is such that it isn’t enough for him to win—he wants all others to fail. Dano plays two brothers; Paul, who tells Daniel about the oil under his family’s land, and Eli, a self-professed prophet and healer. It is an epic story of oil, power and faith. The major conflict in the film is the fight for power between Daniel and Eli. The film is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson who has made a name for himself with films that many find quite weird. He directed Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love. We didn’t care much for Boogie Nights, but we liked Punch Drunk Love, and we gave Magnolia an A/B+ grade. There is no doubt that Andersen is an accomplished filmmaker. This film, like his previous films, is visually arresting, and the story is never predictable. However, I felt like an uninvolved observer for the entire 2 hours and 38 minutes. I was never drawn into the story and, other than a few shocking scenes, felt little emotional involvement with the characters. Gary felt the same way. We agree that such a film is not "A" material or us, but because of the superior acting and skilled filmmaking, we can give this film a B+. However, it is not a film we want to see more than once. GRADE B+