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Phantom Thread
Paul Thomas Anderson enters a bold new phase of his artistry with a 2017 confection called Phantom Thread which has earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and could win Daniel Day-Lewis an unprecedented fourth Oscar for Outstanding Lead Actor.
This film is nothing like anything Anderson has ever done but everything works here. Daniel Day Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a dress designer in 1950's London who finds himself attracted to a waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps) who quickly becomes his muse and lover much to the consternation of his fiercely loyal assistant, Cyril (Lesley Manville).
Anderson, the man behind contemporary dramas like Boogie Nights and Magnolia has never really been known for traditional period pieces, but this initial effort does not indicate that in any way. This is an exquisitely mounted romantic drama and character study that looks at love and obsession and its effect on artistic temperament. Despite all of the elegant trappings provided here, the most fascinating aspect of this movie is the three central characters that Anderson created for this story.
Woodcock is an artist, first and foremost, and there is nothing more important than his work as a designer and his process, which Cyril understands but Alma does not. The tension between Alma and Cyril sizzles from the beginning as we try to see Alma change something she can't possibly change but is not deterred in her mission to do so nevertheless. Every time the three characters sit down at the dinner table to share a meal you can cut the tension with a knife. The constant battle for Alma to make Reynolds her own is the seemingly futile through line that keeps this story humming.
The backstory seems a little rushed...we see Reynolds involved with another model at the beginning of the movie who disappears with no explanation and we get absolutely know hint about Alma's life before meeting Reynolds, which initially bothered me but I found the main story so compelling that I was eventually able to let this go.
The film features handsome production values especially cinematography, some lovely costumes, and a lush musical score that help to make this basically simple story all the more inviting. Daniel Day-Lewis gives a quietly brilliant performance as Woodcock, a rich performance where the actor effectively displays a gamut of emotions without any histrionics. The character actually only raises his voice in one scene and the actor completely invests in a clearly unsympathetic character. There's a terrific moment where his head is lowered and he looks around the room without raising his head, using his eyes only. Kriegs is charming as Alma and Manville is nothing short of spectacular with her beautifully internalized Cyril, a character who works diligently at not letting anyone know her exact feelings about anything. This film is a triumph for its writer and director who might have a shot at the Oscar that has alluded him.
Paul Thomas Anderson enters a bold new phase of his artistry with a 2017 confection called Phantom Thread which has earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and could win Daniel Day-Lewis an unprecedented fourth Oscar for Outstanding Lead Actor.
This film is nothing like anything Anderson has ever done but everything works here. Daniel Day Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a dress designer in 1950's London who finds himself attracted to a waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps) who quickly becomes his muse and lover much to the consternation of his fiercely loyal assistant, Cyril (Lesley Manville).
Anderson, the man behind contemporary dramas like Boogie Nights and Magnolia has never really been known for traditional period pieces, but this initial effort does not indicate that in any way. This is an exquisitely mounted romantic drama and character study that looks at love and obsession and its effect on artistic temperament. Despite all of the elegant trappings provided here, the most fascinating aspect of this movie is the three central characters that Anderson created for this story.
Woodcock is an artist, first and foremost, and there is nothing more important than his work as a designer and his process, which Cyril understands but Alma does not. The tension between Alma and Cyril sizzles from the beginning as we try to see Alma change something she can't possibly change but is not deterred in her mission to do so nevertheless. Every time the three characters sit down at the dinner table to share a meal you can cut the tension with a knife. The constant battle for Alma to make Reynolds her own is the seemingly futile through line that keeps this story humming.
The backstory seems a little rushed...we see Reynolds involved with another model at the beginning of the movie who disappears with no explanation and we get absolutely know hint about Alma's life before meeting Reynolds, which initially bothered me but I found the main story so compelling that I was eventually able to let this go.
The film features handsome production values especially cinematography, some lovely costumes, and a lush musical score that help to make this basically simple story all the more inviting. Daniel Day-Lewis gives a quietly brilliant performance as Woodcock, a rich performance where the actor effectively displays a gamut of emotions without any histrionics. The character actually only raises his voice in one scene and the actor completely invests in a clearly unsympathetic character. There's a terrific moment where his head is lowered and he looks around the room without raising his head, using his eyes only. Kriegs is charming as Alma and Manville is nothing short of spectacular with her beautifully internalized Cyril, a character who works diligently at not letting anyone know her exact feelings about anything. This film is a triumph for its writer and director who might have a shot at the Oscar that has alluded him.