there will be...

every year i say that i'm going to see every movie that was nominated for best picture. and every year i never get around to it. i decided to make more of an effort this year. so yesterday afternoon i went to see 'there will be blood'. wow. i found this film to be virtually flawless. the score was haunting and made me physically uncomfortable, which i think only added to the overall feel of the film. the cinematography was spectacular. the acting was fantastic. (those who say that paul dano is not a strong enough actor to play against daniel day-lewis are completely wrong.) and the director and editor seemed to know exactly how to use long, uncomfortable silences and awkward framing. it was magnificent. and completely disturbing.

but the point of this rambling is not a film critique. it is a completely unrelated observance. those of you who go to movies with me know that i always sit through all the credits. always. so at the very end of the credits for this film it said that 'this production was 100% carbon-neutral'.
hmmmmmm. interesting....
i can understand the motivation for this, considering the above-pictured scene where an entire oil derrick goes up in a spectacular and long-lasting ball of flame.
but i just don't understand carbon offsets. instead of making personal changes to decrease individual production of greenhouse gasses, we pay someone money who supposedly does something good for the environment so i can make my conscience feel better.
then again, it's the american way!
but that's just my opinion...