"The Master"

Ever since Joaquin Phoenix made a very public point of saying he was leaving acting forever, I've been anxiously awaiting his return. I was definitely not disappointed by this new debut.
Joaquin, as Freddy Sutton, is a completely loose alcoholic cannon. He is unpredictable, unlikable, and abrasive. And still I rooted for him to get his shit together. The layers of pain and hard knocks that Freddie so obviously carried with him was palpable. One could only imagine that if watching this was uncomfortable, how must it have been to inhabit this being for even a short period of time, much less the months it takes to make a motion picture.Let me just say I believe that Phoenix absolutely deserved his Oscar nomination, and has this movie happened in a year without "Lincoln" in it, he may have won that golden guy.
Phoenix, of course, did not accomplish this feat by himself.
The screenplay was written and directed by  Paul Thomas Anderson. Also cast were the Philip Seymour Hoffman as the title character, and Amy Adams as Hoffman's wife. The fact that they both also received Oscar nods speaks to the strength of their performances as well as to the strength of the film.

This is not an easy movie to watch. It is full of manipulation and harsh realities. It is also full of real characters that speak in loud, unrelenting voices. Do yourself a favor and listen.