The Master - You'll either `get it' or you won't

And sadly, I didn't.

Before I wrote this, I had a look at some of the other reviews for `The Master.' Basically, they're split between 5/5 stars and 1/5 stars. However, what made them a bit different was the fact that all those who rated it 1/5 actually appreciated that it was a pretty good film, just not THEIR sort of film.

I can see the arguments for both ratings.

It seems that everyone agrees that the acting in The Master is top notch. You have Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joquin Pheonix both on form, delivering one brilliant performance after the next. Secondly, it's beautifully shot. Every scene is perfectly crafted and looks amazing.

Then you have people like me, who, although I agree with the above, thought it was a tad slow. Yes, some scenes were amazingly dramatic and exciting. I just wanted a slightly faster-moving story with which to tie them all together with.

Those who love it say that it's a `character piece' detailing a charismatic leader of a cult, preying on the vulnerable members of society. And they're probably right. Perhaps the gauge to measure whether you'll enjoy it or not comes down to whether you find it easy to sit through slow films. If you can, you'll probably love it. If you find it a bit of a bore, you'll probably end up thinking that, although you can see the brilliance in there somewhere, it could have been a bit faster.

4/10 You can watch this film while you're doing the ironing (you'll still get the general gist of it)