This is the first time I disagreed with Amy Daniel Lewis' performance in TWBB was transcendent, he was deserved of that year's best actor award, and while Dano's performance was great - Day stole the show, he simply melted into that character. I've never been so transfixed by a performance; every scene with Dano, the dynamic between those two characters is elevated because of Day's acting. And most of it comes from his eyes, or his body language, it's masterful. I'm not a huge fan of Lewis', he takes method acting to an unnecessary level, and sometimes he's over the top, but I have never been able to shake off Daniel Plainview - he's such a strange character, and Day plays it to the tee that TWBB becomes the ultimate character study IMO.
Also, a quick note on the fact that there are NO female characters in this movie... My father flips houses for a living, and I've helped in the construction work - tar roofing, plumbing, electricity, remodeling bathrooms, etc. And construction (manual labor in general) is by fay the most grueling way to make a living. There are no women, simply men doing their jobs, conversation is utilized as a team - to get the job done effectively, or during short food breaks. And it's DANGEROUS, I've seen men lose fingers. That's why this movie struck a chord for me, it truly is the American blue collar story, a film that explores the intricate relationship between the working class and the big wigs, and how long a shadow those big wigs cast. I know that the working class (blue collars) isn't made up only by men, but from personal experience (EVERYONE my dad works with are white men, and his investors are mostly wealthy white men), the film just resonates with me for that reason. And it has A LOT to say about capitalism, which, in my opinion, isn't discussed enough in film.
One last thing, that weird Michael Gondry-ish trumpet score at the beginning and end of Boogie Nights is fucking incredible. Both are great movies, and are deserved to be in the Canon.
