FOR YOUR INFORMATION IT TAKES a large amount of discipline to stay in control. Or is it a lot of control to stay disciplined? When it comes to me, in certain areas, I have an incredible amount of discipline. Some of the things I have heard said about me are, “iron willed,” “determined,” “obsessed” and “fanatical” when it comes to my rule of not eating anything 5 hours before I go to sleep. I would say no matter where I am or what I am doing, I will not eat a morsel of food if it is close to my bed time. In the last 20 years I can count on one hand the times I broke this rule and it was for reasons outside of my control. Keeping stoic with my mouth shut is one of the ways I maintain control over my weight; it has worked for me my entire adult life.     NOW THE FUNNY THING ABOUT control is it is very much a singular function. Rarely does one allow another controlling person to share their domain. Let us face it, there are some people who thrive on making all the decisions and there are others who do not want that responsibility. I used to be the one who always had and shared an opinion. If someone wanted to do such and such, I had no issue letting them know I was in agreement or disagreement. If I disagreed then I would tout my reasons why and try to persuade them to agree to my decision. I know this may sound a bit twisted and you know I would not disagree with you. As I grow older I have let go, or maybe I should say I have lost some of that intensity to the point I am comfortable sharing my spot with another individual who is disciplined in a similar vein. It can work just take a look at the musicians Hall and Oates or the designers Dolce & Gabbana. Oh wait maybe it doesn’t work if you take a look at what happened to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. This elegantly filmed, Oscar nominated romantic drama will give you a chance to see what being in control can do.     REYNOLDS WOODCOCK, PLAYED BY Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln, Gangs of New York), was the guiding force to the success of his dressmaking business, House of Woodcock. From his chance meeting with Alma, played by Vicky Krieps (Hanna, The Colony), she would become an inspiration for his work. Alma had an opinion about it. This film festival winning movie also starred Lesley Manville (Another Year, Topsy-Turvy) as Cyril and newcomer Sue Clark as Biddy. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will be Blood, Boogie Nights), Daniel has said this will be his last film. If it is true then he is leaving on a high note; his along with the rest of the cast were simply perfection with their acting skills. The details in the script and the sets all fit together to form a complete puzzle. I will say the story was different to the point I left the theater with mixed emotions. For me the story was not what kept my interest in this picture, it was the emotions and nuances of the characters. Also with the story being set in London during the 1950s, the style of fashion played a part in what I referred to as the details of the sets. Kudos to Paul Thomas Anderson for his control of the story and direction and I have to tip my hat to Daniel for his discipline on picking the best movies for him to star in; I will try to control myself over the loss of not seeing him play in another film.

3 stars