Currently raking in audiences across the country to the tune of $6 million in 778 theaters, Paul Thomas Anderson's “The Master” shows no clear signs of slowing down in advance of the awards season to come. The Weinstein Company is well aware of this fact too, and so while they undoubtedly ready the film for continued box-office presence in expanded release, they've released two new TV spots to whet appetites all over again.
Unlike the PTA-cut trailers featuring mostly deleted scenes or alternate takes from the film, these two spots both glide briefly over the narrative's most striking moments, all having to do mainly with Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman's towering performances. While fantastic acting turns under Anderson are hardly a new thing, as our review notes, the film “feels like something fresh, something entirely his own, and the start of a new phase in the director's career.”
For those who've seen the film already, regardless of whether the opinion leaned positive or negative, the question of artistic progress can safely be put to rest. “The Master” is a challenging, effective, and lingering work, so once you've checked the spots out below and seen the film, be sure to check out our list of the film's music, and let the soundtrack accompany those conflicted thoughts. [Joblo]