TIFF Teaser: The Master, which is most certainly not about Scientology

The Master’s producers are denying any intentional parallels to the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, though we imagine the whispers surrounding Paul Thomas Anderson’s film won’t hurt ticket sales when it’s released in theatres just after TIFF. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Lancaster Dodd, an apparent polymath who founds a religious movement in the ’50s. Joaquin Phoenix co-stars as an alcoholic war vet who, in need of something to believe in, finds himself in the arms—or clutches—of Dodd and Dodd’s wife (Amy Adams). Three acting heavy-hitters, plus a perfectly creepy score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and compelling cinematography, all but guarantee a presence in the upcoming awards season.