The Master

Credit: The Weinstein Company

Joaquin Phoenix Is Remarkable in The Master: Review

Originally posted 09/15/2012 09:30AM

To say that Naval officer Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix in The Master) survived World War II would be to overstate the matter. While Freddie did not die, the bent, feral man who squints out of his right eye and talks out of the left side of his mouth is far from whole.

Sexually rapacious and a blistering drunk, Freddie is a lost sheep in need of a flock. As it happens, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymor Hoffman) is a shepherd. Personable and generous to Freddie when the young man stows away on his boat, Lancaster seems every bit Freddie's opposite.

Lancaster is also the founder of the Cause, a religious movement with clear parallels to Scientology. But this is not a movie about Scientology. Director Paul Thomas Anderson is far more interested in the dynamic between the men than he is in investigating religion. Fortunately, Hoffman and Phoenix know just how to make that dynamic riveting.

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Filed Under: The Master, Movie News, Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Credit: Jeff Vespa/Getty; George Pimentel/Getty

Amy Adams, Keira Knightley, Jude Law & More Celebrate Film in Toronto

Originally posted 09/09/2012 12:15PM

That's one full house!

The Soho House celebrated the second day of the Toronto Film Festival on Friday with parties for Imogene, The Master and Anna Karenina.

Trudie Styler was one of the first guests to arrive. Wearing a white dress, Styler – who co-produced Imogene – sipped on a Grey Goose Le Fizz cocktail and happily greeted Kristen Wiig and Darren Criss, who star in the film.

Upstairs, The Master star Amy Adams arrived in an elegant black dress and spent most of the party chatting with guests.

Julianne Moore was also spotted mingling with guests and relaxing after a busy day of festival activities.

Meanwhile at the Anna Karenina bash, Keira Knightley – who wore a black Elie Saab Haute Couture gown – spent most of the evening talking with costar Aaron Johnson and his wife, filmmaker Sam Taylor Wood.

TORONTO HOTSPOTS: Check out where stars and cinephiles will mingle for TIFF

Nearby, Jude Law enjoyed a Grey Goose cocktail as he laughed with friends.

On Saturday, Soho House hosted an event following the premiere of Silver Linings Playbook: The film's star Bradley Cooper held court on a corner couch, snacking and chatting with other guests.

Chris O'Dowd and new wife, Dawn Porter were also in attendance and enjoyed seafood salads, meatballs and other light fare.

Woody Harrelson happily posed for photos with fans, while Alexander Skarsgard enjoyed a beer with female friend.

Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul – in town to promote Smashed – also made the scene, chatting with fans and fellow stars alike. He even recounted when he and fiancé Lauren Parsekian saw Sally Field on a recent flight and "were completely starstruck," says a source. "But she had the same reaction toward him!" Who wouldn't?

Also in the club: Happy couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, who hung out with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And Glee star Chord Overstreet, who was sporting a hat, chatted up Krasinski a bit.

– Kristin Boehm and Lesley Messer

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