Movie #53- "The Master" (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson is an amazing director.  His work borders an epic quality, often challenging the viewer.  I can see why actors would like working with him, because he provides them with meaty roles.  Yet I've had a problem with his last two films.  His characters are so larger-than-life that they overwhelm the story.
In "The Master", Joaquin Phoenix is a WWII veteran with an uncertain future.  He wonders from job to job, while suffering from episodes of PTSD.  He appears to lack any goal in life until he stumbles upon a cult called "The Cause."  That group is lead by a dynamic individual, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Some have made a correlation between "The Cause" and "Scientology".  Anderson has denied that claim and I think he's far more interested in the relationship between the two men than the origins of a religion.  Hoffman and Phoenix need each other in the story, but for different reasons.
The center of the film is Phoenix, performing like a bull in a china shop.  You can't your eyes from his performance, especially in his scenes with Hoffman.  While the acting is top notch, I felt I was missing something in the story.  I had a similar feeling with "There Will Be Blood".  Great performances, yet I didn't grasp the point of the story.
It's a challenging piece of work that won't fit everyone's taste.  Not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Rating: 6/10
Movies I've previously seen: 4
First time viewings: 49