An epic of silent furry that details an American’s Nietzscheian will to power, “There Will Be Blood” tells the story of a creature named Daniel Plainview that slithers into towns and literally sucks it dry by pumping its lifeblood: oil. Loosely adapted from Upton Sinclair’s novel “Oil!,” this radically realized film “adaptation” follows Plainview and his adopted son from acquisition to acquisition as the magnate gobbles up land like a hungry Monopoly player—“why don’t I have this? WHY DON’T I HAVE THIS?! he growls after noticing one of the few properties in town not under his ownership. This is not a plot driven story but, rather, a character driven one. As played by Daniel Day Lewis, the driver in question is one ugly road warrior who collides with everyone from Standard Oil to a small town’s “false profit” preacher played by Paul Dano.

Flame on…