I thought this was a clear TWBB vote for me, then I watched both films again over the last two nights. My wife was viewing TWBB for the first time, and BN for the first time in years. She had disdain for TWBB, which made me defend my love for Day-Lewis, Dano and the film a little harder. What I realized after watching both again, however, was that my original opinion was correct (in my eyes). The dichotomy of the two is great; TWBB focuses on two main characters, Plainview and Sunday, and their eventual collision course. BN goes the ensemble route, and is able to effectively dissect several while serving just enough of the smaller characters to keep all of them interesting. I had forgotten just how much we are force-fed the Amber/Dirk and Amber/Rollergirl maternal role, and had the podcast not pointed out the repetitive nature, I don't think it would have struck a nerve. I personally like the scene where Amber and Rollergirl are getting ripped on cocaine and having their mother/daughter discussion. It shows Rollergirl's desperation to be wanted like a daughter, and Amber's regret over choosing the life she lives over her son; but moreso, it reads as an all-too-real depiction of coked up conversations. Again, I thought this would be a steamroll win for TWBB, but it is (slightly) less...TWBB just has too much - perfect performances by Day-Lewis and Dano, incredibly quotable lines for a film of this heft, and a fantastic progression of a man turned monster (or maybe, two men turned monsters). There Will Be Blood is, in my opinion, near-perfect. Very excited to see this PTA showdown!
