'The Master' gets cultish with its trailer

Posted Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 4:59 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 5:01 PM Central

by John Couture

If the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes divorce was indeed the first sign of Scientology's demise as some proclaim, then the release of The Master may very well signal its death knell.

The thinly veiled film centers on a charismatic leader of a faith-based organization in the 1950s America, but most people can see that it's little more than legal lip service to stand in for Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard. Personally, I'm not one to let religion or politics get in the way of making, or seeing, a great film.

I've never really been a huge Paul Thomas Anderson fan, but so far everything that I've seen from this film intrigues me. Seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman as a cultish leader should propel his name to the top of the Oscars' watch list.

Of course, that is if his co-star Joaquin Phoenix doesn't overshadow him in the process. If you recall Phoenix famously quit acting to become a rapper a few years back as part of some sort of social experiment turned documentary directed by Casey Affleck called I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix.

The Master is his (triumphant to be determined) return to serious acting. After two Oscar nominations, Phoenix was building quite a portfolio of strong roles before he went AWOL. So, it will be interesting just to see if he can pick up where he left off.

I would say the answer is yes if this trailer is any indication. The Master is due in theaters on October 12.