I won't lie - this wasn't my first time watching this film. No, not by such a long shot. Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece grows better for me every time, whereas I know that many of my cronies actually begin to see increasing imperfections in its storyline upon repeat viewing. To me, there's something positively fascinating about Daniel Day-Lewis' Daniel Plainview. In short, he's a crazy, selfish sociopath that you find yourself rooting for. Furthermore, the film could also be seen as an allegory (or criticism) of the proverbial "American dream" - that old mentality that any Joe can pull himself up by his bootstraps and become a success in this grand ole country of ours. Plainview does just that, but through diabolical and manipulative means. Milkshake lines or not, you still can't help but smile as he finally bests everyone whom he decides to have a vendetta against. Many questions remain about Plainview after the film, from his motivations to his ultimate outcome, but I'm only left with one query: how on Earth will Anderson top this?
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