There Will Be Blood
Based loosely on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel “Oil!”, “There Will Be Blood” lives up to the metaphorical promise of its title. Dark liquid pools beneath the oil derricks in this turn-of-the-century drama. Miner-turned-oilman Daniel Plainview’s own come-to-Jesus moment provides jaw-dropping theater. Is his salvation the show of shows or a true example of being overwhelmed? After all, by the time he kneels before the Church of the Third Revelation congregation, Plainview has experienced a great deal of loss. Yet “There Will Be Blood” becomes a diabolically commanding film once the unholy alliance of oilman and preacher is forged. R. 2 hours, 38 minutes. Released today. Lisa Kennedy
Resurrecting the Champ
It probably won’t be a contenda for awards at year’s end. But there’s fine finesse and heart smarts aplenty in director Rod Lurie’s “Resurrecting the Champ.” Sportswriter Erik Kernan is stumbling professionally and personally when he meets an ex-boxer living on the streets of Denver. He’s sure — then hopes — the man he’s writing about is Battling Bob Satterfield. Based on J.R. Moehringer’s Los Angeles Times Magazine article, the movie is about stories going south when you thought they were taking you north. Samuel L. Jackson as the once-was delivers a beauty of a performance. And Lurie and Jackson give audiences a rare and striking portrait of homelessness. Kathryn Morris (“Cold Case”) stars as Erik’s colleague and wife. Teri Hatcher plays a shark of a cable casting director. PG-13. 1 hour, 51 minutes. Released today.Lisa Kennedy.
Lions for Lambs
No doubt there are truer examples of films that can be called Socratic than Robert Redford’s war drama. But the film fits that description well. It unfolds as a series of philosophical dialogues wrestling with ideals and ideology. The catalyst for the chatter is a clandestine military operation launched in Afghanistan. And two soldiers, played by Derek Luke and Michael Peña, are the heart of the matter. But the action also takes place in the office of professor Stephen Malley (Redford) in California and Sen. Jasper Irving’s office in Washington. Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep square off as do Irving, a White House hopeful, and TV journalist Janine Roth. Andrew Garfield plays Todd, a student Malley hopes to wrench from his apathy. “Lions for Lambs” is a civics lesson, necessary to be sure, but the stateside conversations (written my Matthew Michael Carnahan) feel fixed. R. 1 hour, 28 minutes. Released today.Lisa Kennedy.
