The Master (2012) - 1 star out of 10

The Master (2012) - 1 star out of 10
Oscar Week

Paul Thomas Anderson, the king of hit or miss, majorly missed with "The Master."  This movie is just awful.  It is nearly as pointless as the cult that it portrays.  Random rooms full of naked women, senseless use of the f-word, and the psychologically disturbing "Processing" sequences make this an unsavory work of "art."  More than anything, I resent the three Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Supporting Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and Supporting Actress (Amy Adams).  Even though I enjoy all three of these actors, none of them did anything of note in this film.  In fact, the entire thing is very forgettable.  The film lacks the emotional punch that these actors have to offer and the story never goes anywhere.  Instead of the story progressing from point A to point B, it just exists in its current state as if it is stuck in "The Cause's"  endless time loop.  I can't understand why the critics enjoyed watching these characters sit around and talk about nothing for 2+ hours while an atonal musical score meanders around in the background, trying to unlock the mystery of how such an atrocity could be mistaken for a movie.  I don't hate it as much as "Punch Drunk Love" but this film's very existence is giving me an immediate need to watch "There Will Be Blood" and prove to myself that all of Anderson's work is not crap.