Hatchet reporter Scarlet McNally shares her latest movie experience.

“The Master” (2012)

After five years away from the spotlight, Joaquin Phoenix abandons his beard and returns to our screens in a contemporary American epic directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

“The Master” charts the indoctrination of disturbed World War II veteran Freddie Quell (Phoenix) into a cult known as The Cause. The film’s title refers to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character, Lancaster Dodd, who serves as the cult’s master, providing his subjects an alternate perspective on time and reality.

Although there are obvious links between The Cause and Scientology, the movie serves as more than just an allegory for the L. Ron Hubbard-created religion. The cast comprises acting heavyweights who easily embrace their intense roles. Amy Adams stars as Peggy Dodd, Lancaster’s devoted wife, who plays the role of mediator between the master and Quell. Unfortunately, her part is limited and somewhat pushed to the side in favor of drawn out, uncomfortable exchanges between Dodd and Quell.

But it’s these scenes that make the movie. One scene, for instance, depicts Quell staring unflinchingly as Dodd asks him explicit questions before initiating him into the cult. The uncertain homosexual undertones inherent in the exchange develop slowly throughout the film before becoming more fully explored toward the end.

“The Master” delves into hefty topics, from the ability of large organizations to exploit the mentally unstable to the challenges of post-war social integration. But Anderson’s skilled directing gives a dark, uncomfortable and often sexually explicit film an aesthetically exhilarating spin.

Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams
Release Date: Sept. 21