Maher’s one-liner
“My favorite movie of the year was the one about the heartless con man who’s obsessed with finding oil. Its called No End In Sight.” — Bill Maher on the Huffington Post.
“My favorite movie of the year was the one about the heartless con man who’s obsessed with finding oil. Its called No End In Sight.” — Bill Maher on the Huffington Post.
Tired. Lazy. Wrong. If only it were so simple. Did he even actually watch his punchline?
i thought this was pretty funny, if a bit contrived… any time maher can make me laugh without being a raging misogynist is cause for celebration in my book.
Plainview was a lot of things, but “con man” might be a bit of a stretch.
SPOILERS
I’d say “con man” is accurate for Plainview. He sells himself to communities as the oilman to choose based on the lie that he runs a family business. It’s not the most important part of his identity, but it’s certainly an integral one in the story.
Eli was the con man in There Will Be Blood. Not Plainview.
It was always clear to me that Anderson directed more contempt at Eli and religion than Plainview and his greed.
They’re both con men, but the real question is who does the most damage to people, Plainview with his oil and greed, or Eli with his religion.
Or Tom Carvel, with his delicious milkshakes.
He’s a shrewd businessman who’s worked his ass off. He’s also right when he says that their town will flourish. It’s business and how America was born.
Eli, on the other hand, well he’s just disgusting.
have to agree with geoff on that one…….the birth of true consumerism….
Don’t forget this movie also has more than a little to say about alcoholism, which was about 75 percent of the reason for Plainview’s downfall, IMO
“It’s business and how America was born.”
Right. Through abandonment and murder fueled by booze.
And Greed Is Good. Love those capitalist family values.
Plainview promised money that he never delivered. He and Eli are the same.
At the end of the film, during the depression, he’s living in a mansion. How are the people of Little Boston doing? Not so hot, I’d imagine.
The idea that Plainview is a good old-fashioned, hard-nosed businessman is deeply sick.
And yes, it is also a film about a drunk — the best one in a long time. Keep in mind that Daniel has a nasty hangover but is not drunk when he commits his second murder. It’s all about winning.
People that think Plainview is a hero probably think Tony Soprano is just keeping it real.
I saw PTA and DDL in a pretty good Charlie Rose interview last week. I won’t do DDL’s take on his character justice, but after watching the scene where Plainview meets Eli, and Eli says he wants $10,000 for the oil rights and his church, DDL says Plainview immediately recognizes Eli as a fraud and a kindred spirit.
Rose asked DDL whether he thought Eli also immediately saw through Plainview. DDL’s answer was that Eli did recognize the fraudulence in Plainview, but he, DDL, as an actor, could not allow himself to think that, since Plainview, the character, couldn’t allow himself to think that anyone could see through him.
Clearly DDL thought both Plainview and Eli were frauds and con men, and each saw through the other from the very first minute they met.
Plainview always dealt with dirt-poor farmers and ranchers who had no idea what their oil rights were worth.
Eli had no idea what those oil rights were worth either, but as soon as he laid eyes on Plainview, he knew Plainview was out to cheat them, so he felt confident countering Plainview with a tremendously higher figure. Eli recognized a fellow con man.