I’ve already detailed the last (and best) 17 minutes of yesterday’s Daniel Day-Lewis tribute; I’ve been stalling on recapping the previous hour-and-43 because they were somewhat less impressive. I’ve seen four films since yesterday morning, including a very solid Cannes winner and a much-discussed work of warsploitation by an American master, and nothing has excited me as much as that single reel of There Will Be Blood.

Earlier in the day, I wondered how the tribute would approach Day-Lewis’ unique star persona, and keeping an eye on that element kept me entertained even when the discussion between Day-Lewis and moderator Davia Nelson faltered. At one point, Day-Lewis praised a former professor who allegedly taught him to suppress the mechanics of acting by asking him to imagine a hazard sign with the words, “Danger–Actor at Work.” Which is odd, because the excerpts of Day-Lewis filmography shown almost immediately before that anecdote reek of the kind of showiness that makes a viewer (and an Oscar voter) think, “Wow! Now THAT’S Acting!”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the clip reel primarily focused on Day-Lewis’ Big Acting Moments: lots of screaming and tantrums, psychotic violence and unconventional seductions. His comedic, romantic and less-showy dramatic work was downplayed (A Room With A View and The Age of Innocence were represented by the shortest clips); his larger-than-life work in My Left Foot and Gangs of New York was heavily played up. In his most lauded performances, Day-Lewis gives great spectacle, but it’s hard to imagine confusing a movie monster like Bill the Butcher (or, even, a softer caricature like A Room With A View’s nebishy fiance) with a non-acting, real-life human being. Even when playing non-sociopaths, Day-Lewis’s volume is turned permanently up to 11.

Probably to her credit, Nelson attempted to steer the ensuing conversation towards uncovering Day-Lewis’ softer side. To her demerit, she did this by asking a lot of fizzy-headed questions, often preceded with the qualifier, “I don’t know where I got this from, but I was wondering…” Day-Lewis responded to most of these queries with hearty laughter, before pulling the focus back to his own need to “free the subterranean beast” and attack each endeavor “compulsively, to the point of madness.”

The theme of the event seemed to be summed up by an exchange from the excerpt shown from The Ballad of Jack and Rose. Day-Lewis’ character has just asked Catherine Keener’s to move in with him, and she says, “I’m wondering if you’re crazy or not.” He responds, “That’s a waste of time, honey.” As is the case with most star personas, Daniel Day-Lewis’ only continues to work if we take it for granted.

Coming soon: notes on Brick Lane, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and Man in the Shadows, a documentary on Val Lewton narrated by Martin Scorsese. Tonight, I’m going to try to see some combination of the following: Juno, which allegedly brought down the house in its first screening yesterday; Wayne Wang’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers; and Noah Baumbach’s Margot at the Wedding. Yesterday, I overheard David Poland saying it was “incompetent” and the “worst thing [Baumbach's] ever done.” Later, I overheard Laura Linney expressing the polar opposite opinion. “It makes The Squid and the Whale look like a toy,” she said. I can’t wait to find out who’s right.