Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a World War II veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and probably a bucketful of other mental problems. He encounters Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a charismatic author and amateur psychologist who’s just begun germinating a religion out of his eccentric worldview. Quell falls under Dodd's sway, but his bottomless anger is always inspiring him to push at the edges of Dodd's patience. Clearly, these two men are bound for a bad ending. The Master is slow in parts, but director Paul Thomas Anderson's explorations into faith and family are well worth watching. (PAUL CONSTANT)