Blu-ray Movie Reviews

There were quite a few films last year that really resonated with me and by year's end it was a tough call on which was my favorite. P.T. Anderson's newest film was one of them and probably his strongest offering to date (and that's saying something). There Will Be Blood is a haunting look at the early oil industry and namely one oil prospector who is at odds with society around him. Daniel Day Lewis delivers one of the best acting performances of recent memory and continues to solidify his reputation as one of the best in the business. His work here is truly haunting and never lets up throughout the film, despite its long run time. While this film didn't win Best Picture last year it had to have been one of the toughest years for the Academy voters considering the strength of the titles.

Everyone was hoping this one would make it out on Blu-ray and Paramount has delivered an outstanding video presentation. This high bitrate VC1 encode preserves every ounce of detail from the photography and delivers one of the best film-like presentations I've seen lately. This film doesn't have the stylization we've seen so much from modern cinema but the framing of the film does wonders for the tension and mood of the film. Contrast levels are never exaggerated and colors have a natural quality that is rare these days. Black levels vary depending on the situation with a nice inky quality in the oil blast scenes but slightly elevated levels in some of the digging sequences. This makes depth a bit inconsistent but more realistic given the limitations of natural photography. Overall this is an outstanding transfer that showcases the gorgeous photography.

Paramount has included a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack on this release and I'm overjoyed that they have moved to an all lossless audio policy going forward. This film had one of my favorite scores of last year and was second only to Atonement which went on to win the Oscar. This soundtrack is nearly as effective as the photography of bringing you into the film and never letting go. It does wonders for the mood and atmosphere and the 5.1 mix delivers every drop. Balance in the soundstage is outstanding and some of the dynamics caught me by surprised. The soundstage is quite open with convincing use of the surrounds. Dialogue is natural in tone and balance and never once did I hear any strain at all.

Extras include a few deleted scenes and a short production feature. You also get a look at some goofs during shooting. The trailers are also included. The best feature is the inclusion of an old oil film from the early 1900's that was developed as an education film for citizens. This movie doesn't really explain the business much so it was nice to get some education on what was going on. Also, in typical P.T. form, there is a test pattern for color included to ensure proper playback levels during the film. Anderson also included something to this effect on his release of Punch Drunk Love.

Easily one of my favorite films of last year I can’t recommend this one enough. Paramount has done a superb job on the presentation and has shown that they don't plan on skimping a bit on their Blu-ray releases going forward.