The bravura, off-the charts-crazy performance of Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master” isn’t a subtle piece of acting– and really, what were we expecting following his faux-rapping shenanigans in “I’m Still Here.” In “The Master,” he plays an unstable war veteran who becomes mesmerized by the enigmatic leader of The Cause, a religious/psychological movement with all-too-familiar connections to Scientology.

The “master” is played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman in predictably spectacular fashion, and, sure, the connections to Scientology are provocative, but Phoenix’s broken soldier remains the focus of the film. He gives a jaw-dropping performance in scene-after-scene as a man who searches for serenity and purpose but instead repeatedly boils over into self-loathing and violence.

“The Master” is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the talent behind “There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia.” It’s a dense and beautiful film worthy of a lot of interpretation and speculation that won’t even be attempted here… at least for now.

The challenging subject matter and lack of traditional plotting has earned “The Master” its detractors and has contributed to the film’s swift exit from theaters (and possibly its Oscar chances beyond acting categories). It’s definitely this year’s “Tree of Life,” a movie that critics loved and recommended but general audiences seemed to hate. I would say “The Master” is more straightforward than most are assuming, and its themes easier to grasp than that of “Tree of Life.”

Still, you definitely need patience for a slow-burn movie like “The Master.”