Movies

More Early Praise For 'The Master' After Chicago 70mm Screening

By Russ Fischer

Paul Thomas Anderson did another early screening of his new film The Master in 70mm last night at Chicago's Music Box Theater, to follow on the Santa Monica showing that took place a couple weeks ago. Just about the only people who seem to be unhappy about that are officials at film festivals, as praise for various aspects of the film is pouring in via Twitter and a few reviews. (The Venice film gave The Master a slot in competition, but the showing will now hardly count as a world premiere.)

It would be wrong to suggest that the praise for Anderson's latest film is uniform. The film follows a drifter (Joaquin Phoenix) as he comes into the orbit of the magnetic title character Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Dodd's wife (Amy Adams), who have organzied a coterie of followers around Dodd's philosophical approach to life. The film's performers are universally acclaimed so far, as is the visual presentation, specifically as seen in 70mm. Some seem to be seeking a new film to lead the charge in the battle between film and digital, and have found it in The Master. But the movie is also called a bit aimless (which isn't necessarily a point of complaint) and referred to as one that takes a lot of processing time.

See some of the reactions below.

The Playlist had a reviewer in the house, who called the performance from Phoenix "a truly unnerving revelation," and noted "an early scene, in which Lancaster interviews Freddie about his past using a series of test questions, is unequivocally the film's centerpiece, as both players raise each other's game with every line and glance to ensure everyone that yes, these actors are capable of truly amazing things."

Many reactions have also come in via Twitter:

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