REVIEW: Phantom Thread
★★★★
In Paul Thomas Anderson's latest endeavour, the fine line between love and compromise is explored--perhaps in a more unconventional way than typically expected. Accompanied by beautiful costumes, lovely cinematography, and a haunting score, Phantom Thread demonstrates how the love between two people can bring out both the best and darkest parts of themselves and each other.
The film is set in 1950s London and follows Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), a respected dressmaker who is (quite annoyingly, sometimes humorously) stuck in his ways, and who lives and works in the revered House of Woodcock with his sister, Cyril (Lesley Mansville). Upon interacting with his waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps), he invites her back to his home, where they fall into a deep conversation that quickly leads to Alma working with and eventually falling in love with Reynolds. Their love is mutual, although Reynolds appears to be more reluctant to admit it at first. Their relationship is also quite often tested, most often by Reynolds' stubbornness and pickiness, and the film takes a unique look at the complications that come about from the power dynamics in a relationship.
This is a movie where you really have to pay attention to what's going on, not because it won't be clear what's happening, but because otherwise you might not understand the point of it all. Watching it in a theatre was a great experience largely for this reason.
In addition to the wonderful production elements, Daniel Day-Lewis gives a solid performance in what is said to be the final bow of his career (but is it really?). He is in talks for an Oscar nomination, which is fair enough, but Vicky Krieps gave just as compelling of a performance and seems to be left out of the awards talk altogether. This doesn't make total sense to me, but alright! The film is sure to land costume and score nods in the very least. PTA might even get a director nod if he's lucky.
It's hard to talk too much about the film without giving away some of its key moments, but there's a really great dinner scene which is probably safe to say serves as a focal turning point. One of things that's really great about the film is its ability to touch on the many elements that can test a relationship--time, control, grief, change--in such a nuanced and subtle way that is yet impossible to deny the presence of. It may not be everyone's type of movie, but it is nonetheless one worth watching.