Repost: The Master (May 4th and 5th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)

[THE MASTER screens Saturday May 4th at 7:00 pm and Sunday May 5th at 3:30 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Equally compelling and frustrating, THE MASTER tells the story of two men of questionable character. Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a World War II vet with a knack for mixing up intoxicating beverages from often dangerous ingredients. His anger always bubbling just beneath the surface, perhaps Freddie's rage stems from post-traumatic stress disorder, or it may go back even further to an unhappy childhood. Aside from his anger management issues, Freddie also exhibits some unusual and at times wildly inappropriate sexual behaviors.

The other man is Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a writer who has recently started his own movement known as “The Cause”. Although there is no direct 1:1 correlation, the Cause is clearly modeled on Scientology, with Dodd a surrogate L. Ron Hubbard. On the surface, Dodd seems well adjusted and happy-go-lucky, a walking advertisement for his program of “processing”. Occasionally, however, there are cracks in his armor that indicate repressed anger and sexual issues.

The Master

Review by Bob Ignizio

Equally compelling and frustrating, THE MASTER tells the story of two men of questionable character. Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a World War II vet with a knack for mixing up intoxicating beverages from often dangerous ingredients. His anger always bubbling just beneath the surface, perhaps Freddie's rage stems from post-traumatic stress disorder, or it may go back even further to an unhappy childhood. Aside from his anger management issues, Freddie also exhibits some unusual and at times wildly inappropriate sexual behaviors.

The other man is Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a writer who has recently started his own movement known as “The Cause”. Although there is no direct 1:1 correlation, the Cause is clearly modeled on Scientology, with Dodd a surrogate L. Ron Hubbard. On the surface, Dodd seems well adjusted and happy-go-lucky, a walking advertisement for his program of “processing”. Occasionally, however, there are cracks in his armor that indicate repressed anger and sexual issues.