THE MASTER

The scenery was stunning; the music was melodious and varied and fit each scene well; the photography was excellent; and the acting was beyond brilliant. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays an L. Ron Hubbard cult leader espousing a blend of hypnosis and past life fantasies to heal people and Joaquin Phoenix plays Freddie, an alcoholic severely PTSD survivor of WWII loner with a psychotic mother. Joaquin transformed himself into a shambling and stooped and gaunt and mumbling maniacal and yet very sympathetic character.

He was amazingly wonderful. I'm so glad he is back to acting from that spell of hoaxism. Hoffman was likewise mesmerizing - embodying all the qualities of a leader  of a therapeutic movement. He was bombastic and domineering and magnetic and funny and stern.

However, in spite of all the above accolades, both of us gave this movie a 5 because there was no plot, no tension, no driving story line. This film was over 2 hours long and to paraphrase a character in the movie who was commenting on Hoffman's publication of his 2nd book which was really thick "this could all have been said in a 3 page flyer."

Because that was it: hoffman was the leader and Joaquin  drunkenly wandered into his sphere and Hoffman tried to help him. That's it!! We were really disappointed.