The Master (2012)

The Master (2012)
Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled, boozy drifter struggling with the trauma of World War II and whatever inner demons ruled his life before that. On a fateful night in 1950, Freddie boards a passing boat and meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the charismatic leader of a religious movement called the Cause. Freddie tries hard to adhere to Dodd's weird teachings...
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Release Date: September 14th, 2012

DVD Release Date: February 26th, 2013

R |2 hr 16 min

Plot Summary

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled, boozy drifter struggling with the trauma of World War II and whatever inner demons ruled his life before that. On a fateful night in 1950, Freddie boards a passing boat and meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the charismatic leader of a religious movement called the Cause. Freddie tries hard to adhere to Dodd's weird teachings and forms a close bond with his mentor, even as other members of Dodd's inner circle see him as a threat.

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons, Amy Ferguson, Frank Bettag, Leonida A. Bautista

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Genres: Drama

Production Co: Ghoulardi Film Company, Joanne Sellar, Annapurna Pictures

Keywords: Rise, 1950s, Daughter, Temptation, Wife, Friendship, Tense, Fascinating

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Ratings & Reviews

90
Movieline
What makes The Master such a singular experience, as dense as a mille-feuille, is that it is not Lancaster's story but Freddie's, and told as such, in layers that are sensorially rich but that do not always lead easily from one to another. show more
95
Ella TaylorNPR
Without ever saying so, the movie adds up to nothing less than a social psychology of the nervous, spiritually questing geist of post-World War II America. show more
100
Todd McCarthyThe Hollywood Reporter
Two things stand out: the extraordinary command of cinematic technique, which alone is nearly enough to keep a connoisseur on the edge of his seat the entire time, and the tremendous portrayals by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman of two entirely antithetical men show more

See all critic reviews on metacritic.com

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