The Master

The Master (2012) starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams. After serving in World War II, Freddie Quell (Phoenix) returns a damaged man. He falls in with Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), the "Master" of a cult-like philosophy that seems to be modeled on Scientology. Dodd likes Freddie because he can make strange brews (which include ingredients as far-ranging as paint thinner) that Dodd likes to drink. The problem is, Dodd is the only one who likes Freddie, who is a drunk and has a tendency towards violence. Not to put too fine a point on it, I didn't like this movie. There was no one to really cheer for -- even Phoenix-Quell, who was the putative hero, was not a likable character. The film is quite a bit too long, and some scenes just seem to drag on forever. Although many critics greeted this movie as a masterpiece, I found that it fell well short of being interesting, much less compelling. (English subtitles are available for the hearing-impaired, but not closed captions. There are several songs, which unaccountably are not subtitled.) Grade: C