God's Not Dead, Harold Cronk: 1 / 4
This film is propaganda. According to its creators, the artistic value of this film is secondary to the viewer's experience. And this viewer is not a critical film goer, but a commoner. The commoner must extrapolate the world of this film to his/her own reality. They must become a Christian.
Hulk, Ang Lee: 1.5 / 4
This one missed, which is surprising considering my high regard for Ang Lee (for Brokeback). The story seemed to be there, but it wasn't executed in a way that evoked any sort of emotion. It wasn't too great visually either, but that was based on their lesser CGI at the time. So any Marvel fan, feel free to skip this one.
The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson: 2.5 / 4
There are some phenomenal performances in this film, notably PSH, Joaquin, and Amy Adams. Lancaster Dodd's self-delusional personality displays what's required to lead a cult. Freddie's a sex-obsessed, emotionally-broken degenerate who finds solace in Dodd's companionship, and solely that. Amy Adams is the rock, the structure that keeps the cult from falling apart. Her affirmation seems to keep Dodd from spiraling off into the abyss. This film is a character study, a phenomenal one. I couldn't think of better prep for the upcoming Scientology doc: Going Clear. Who knows? Maybe I'll read the book too.
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