Dillon Freasier (left) and Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood."

This movie is an oddity, for sure. It marks a change in pace and tone for director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights," "Magnolia"), a period piece centered on one main character as opposed to his previous contemporary settings and ensemble casts.

All reports of Daniel Day-Lewis giving an unforgettable performance are indeed right as the proverbial rain. He is an acting monster in this film, gazing behind squinted eyes and squeezing every meticulously articulated word out of his mouth.

His Daniel Plainview, a ruthless self-made oil man, is the film's protagonist, but is quite the shady character. As full as his coffers get, he is equally morally bankrupt. The accumulation of wealth at all costs is his primary goal, and if he can stand on the backs of others in the process, all the better.

Still, he's a complex character, setting even his personal wishes aside (and sending his young son off when he's injured so as not to be a distraction).

The film is full of tremendous scenery and an eerie soundtrack (by Jonny Greenwood of the band "Radiohead") magnificently sets the film's tone.

Paul Dano ("Little Miss Sunshine") is wonderfully weaselly in dual roles, Eli, a grandiose, self-promoting preacher who fancies himself a healer, and his brother Paul, who sells out his family and the potential fortune they're literally sitting on for what amounts to a pittance.

Eli, though he has fooled his congregation, is scrawny and naive, and when he throws his weight around, Plainview throws his back. The two embark on a classic cat-and-mouse game for control of the town and its fortune.

There are some subtle and not-so-subtle hints at who Plainview represents on a metaphorical level, one of which may or may not be his son's name.

"Blood" is a must-see, both for the story, the intrigue, and the crackling performances from its leads.