| Along the way he meets youthful Paul Sunday (Paul
Dano) from the small town of Little Boston. Sunday knows there's oil
in this area. And he's nobody's fool, applying his rigid negotiating
skills toward a nominal fee for giving the fixated Plainview the
exact location. Sure enough Plainview discovers that Paul did
indeed earn that "fee." He starts formulating plans to buy every
tract of land in the area-including the Sunday family's property. He
discusses the serious aspects of the deal with H.W., never giving
you the impression that he's too young to understand. Obviously
Plainview has taught him some essentials on how the oil industry
game is played.
Here, he meets a second brilliant strategist in the form of Paul
Sunday's twin brother Eli (also played by Dano). He pastors the
community's Third Church of The Revelation , has great influence
among the people and is just as mentally sharp, if not sharper than
his sibling. Despite Plainview's attempts to strike a raw deal to
purchase their land without even mentioning the oil, Eli ensures
that it is brought to the forefront. He strikes
an even bigger transaction than Paul did.
If you liked Daniel Day-Lewis's intense turn as the lethal,
domineering Bill "The Butcher" Cutting in Gangs of New York, you'll
simply love him as the cool, calm and collected Plainview. He
submerges himself into the role so completely, that you may ask
yourself why most, if not all, the people he makes offers to won't
readily accept. There's even a clever piece of night camera work
from cinematographer, Robert Elswit showing
Plainview's face (nothing else) surrounded by complete blackness as
if he's symbolizing how oil has finally overwhelmed him.
The Oscar academy customarily overlooks other great performances.
And Paul Dano's Eli Sunday is, unfortunately, one of them. I
remember his comical performance in Little Miss Sunshine as the
closed lip yet lovable Dwayne who refused to speak a word until he
was accepted into flight school. Dwayne and Eli are polar opposites
in this respect, allowing Dano to showcase his true versatility as
an actor. You soon discover that Eli also has an "obsession" problem
which makes for some hilarity in one scene.
Obsession can build up a person or destroy them, depending on a
variety of factors- and the object of the obsession. Plainview's is
a bit scary because while black gold seems to harden his heart, you
can't help but to admire and maybe even love him a little simply for
his determination. And we can all use some resolve once in awhile,
if only for the right reasons.
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