Paul Thomas Anderson's, "The Master", is one of the best movies of the year. While it doesn't provide a clear cut answer at its conclusion, it leaves the viewer to answer moral questions of religion, self existence, and "what truly is real in our heads and what is make believe?" Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman give Oscar-worthy performances with their portrayal of this odd cult in the 1950's. While the movie does have mild religious undertones and similarities to Scientology ideology; the movie primarily focuses on the relationship between these two men, it does not divulge deeply into the implications of "The Cause".
The true beauty of the film is found in interpretation. It isn't the normal Hollywood blockbuster, but a film that should be viewed as an art form and Anderson showing an overview to his ideas. The relationship shared between Phoenix and Hoffman is astounding and both men and extremely talented actors.
Not to mention the 70mm conversion to blu-ray is absolutely stunning! There are multiple ocean scenes in the film and picture quality is unlike anything I've seen from the digital age. Why it wasn't nominated for Best Picture, yet had a nomination in all three major individual categories? Beyond me. Go see it!
What's great about it: The standard for film artistry