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poster of The Master
Rating: 7.1/10 by 2819 users

The Master (2012)

Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.

Directing:
  • Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Adam Somner
  • Eric Richard Lasko
  • Wainani Young-Tomich
  • Jillian Giacomini
  • Trevor Tavares
Writing:
  • Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars:
Release Date: Fri, Sep 07, 2012

Rating: 7.1/10 by 2819 users

Alternative Title:
O Mentor - PT
Master - SE
O Mestre 2012 - BR
마스터 - KR
ザ・マスター - JP
大师 - CN
Мастер - RU
Mestari - FI
บารมีสมองเพชร - TH

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 02 hour 17 minutes
Budget: $32,000,000
Revenue: $28,258,060

Plot Keyword: post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), sexual obsession, religion, drifter, alcoholic, handjob, post war, cult leader, scientology, religious cult, charismatic leader, right hand man, 1940s, past life regression, nude dancing
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Joaquin Phoenix
Freddie Quell
Amy Adams
Peggy Dodd
Laura Dern
Helen Sullivan
Ambyr Childers
Elizabeth Dodd
Madisen Beaty
Doris Solstad
Patty McCormack
Mildred Drummond
Lena Endre
Mrs. Solstad
Barbara Brownell
Margaret O'Brien
Amy Ferguson
Martha the Salesgirl
Jennifer Neala Page
Winn Manchester
Mike Howard
Rorschach Doctor
Mimi Cozzens
Chi Chi Crawford
Jillian Bell
Susan Gregory
Joshua Close
Wayne Gregory
Martin Dew
Norman Conrad
Brady Rubin
Michelle Mortimer
Jill Andre
Beatrice Campbell
Barlow Jacobs
James Sullivan
David Warshofsky
Philadelphia Police
Katie Boland
Young Woman
Price Carson
V.A. Doctor
Bruce Goodchild
V.A. Doctor / Interview
Matt Hering
V.A. Patient
Dan Anderson
V.A. Patient
Andrew Koponen
V.A. Patient
Patrick Wilder
V.A. Patient
Ryan Curtis
V.A. Patient
Jay Laurence
V.A. Patient
Abraxas Adams
V.A. Patient
Tina Bruna
Portrait Customer
Kevin Hudnell
Portrait Customer
Hunter Craig
Portrait Customer
Ryder Craig
Portrait Customer
Rodion Salnikov
Portrait Customer
Emily Gilliam
Portrait Customer
Kody Klein
Portrait Customer
W. Earl Brown
Fighting Businessman
Ariel Felix
Filipino Worker
Vladimir Velasco
Filipino Worker
John Mark Reyes
Filipino Worker
Brian Fong
Filipino Worker
Diane Cortejo
Young Filipino Woman
Myrna De Dios
Angry Filipino Woman
William O'Brien
Hiring Hall Voice (voice)
Brigitte Hagerman
New York Party Girl
Charley Morgan
New York Lawyer
Kimberly Ables Jindra
Processing Patient
Eban Schletter
Band (Piano)
Scott Rodgers
Band (Drum)
Melora Walters
Band (Voice)
Emily Jordan
British Receptionist
Amanda Caryn Jobbins
British Receptionist
Napoleon Ryan
Pub Customer
AnnaCorey
Madam Grace Love Interest (uncredited)
Bill Blair
Man at the Bar (uncredited)

Pugwash

Modern self-indulgent rubbish. Too long. I gained nothing from watching this. It's nicely photographed, but that is a given in the 21st century. The acting is fine, but this is a review of the movie as a whole. Don't waste your time.

Filipe Manuel Neto

**It's a film for a fairly narrow audience and is very slow paced... too slow.** Honestly, I expected more from this movie. A certain strong dramatic spark that really justified the time spent watching it. Unfortunately, it seems the only motivation for seeing the film is its criticism of the Church of Scientology, a criticism that, if you read a little about the church and pay attention, is not even implied. Paul Thomas Anderson is a respected director, especially after the films “Magnolia” and “There Will Be Blood”. I'm not going to discuss that, not least because he's not a director I'm comfortable with (I think, counting this one, I've only seen two of his films). What matters is this film, and here, the director did a good job. It probably not the best of his career, there are very debatable options especially in terms of editing and rhythm, but it's enough. The cast's work is even better. Joaquin Phoenix gives us an impeccable, intense and very dramatic work, even if it is totally surpassed by the charisma of Philip Seymour Hoffman, a totally accurate choice for the character, who required not only charisma but also leadership, affirmation and authority. The actor, who left us suddenly and quite prematurely, was rightly nominated for an Oscar here. Laura Dern and Amy Adams ensure the main presences in the feminine, and they do it safely, even if in a more discreet way. On a technical level, the film has some very good points and others not so well developed: if on the one hand we have an excellent collection of sets and costumes, a good recreation of historical periods and places, an excellent cinematography and an enviable filming work, we also have a badly done edition, incapable of giving the film greater drama and some rhythm. I don't know if that was on purpose or not, what I do know is that the movie is disgustingly slow, dull and boring, with tons of lamely written dialogue and a lot of wasted time in between. I was left with the feeling that it would have been perfectly possible, in editing, to cut about half an hour of film without rigorously altering the meaning or running the risk of ruining the story. And talking about editing invariably leads us to talking about the script. I am not and have never been a member of the Church of Scientology, so I feel free to see a film that openly criticizes it, and also a film that criticizes it more covertly, as is the case. What the film makes clear is the weight of a great leader's charisma for the growth of a cult, but that was something that seemed clear enough to me. There are also some passages in which the film suggests that Scientology (like the “Cause”) is a great hoax, but this is also apparently consensual among the common public, and is based to some extent on testimonies from former members of the church. Regardless, it is not a film that is capable of attracting the masses to cinema, it is a topic for a niche of people already interested in it and not for the general public. And that doomed the film to a tremendous financial failure, considering the capital the production spent on it.


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