Phantom Thread
- Alex Holmes
- Mar 3, 2018
- 2 min read
Phantom Thread, the latest film from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson, weaves the tale of Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), a 1950s couturier living in London who is obsessed with his work. The love tug-of-war between him and Alma (Vicky Krieps), is the central thread of this story.
The first half of the movie has a decidedly brighter and more open tone about it than the next half. It has relaxing, classical tracks, with joy rides in the middle of the night, and dainty households, not unlike Downton Abbey, but with a bit more sourness.
Day-Lewis of course excels in his role, disappearing perfectly into a man who is in love with his art and can't stand the noises of eating breakfast. His fastidiousness and fussiness doesn't feel contrived or even annoying. Day-Lewis makes his character sympathetic but always a little distant. And in his most private moments, his true feelings are revealed.
The whole picture has a meticulous quality about it, something stemming right from the hand-sewn dresses that Woodcock fashions. The colors are varied and vibrant in some scenes, while dark and dreary in others. The cinematography is fantastic. Despite the absurdness of certain parts of the film, the world feels lived in and real, while also a desirable place to be (at times).
The plot is wholly original and unexpected, and I found myself wondering what would happen next. Sometimes, it even feels like it goes off the deep end, and it doesn't know where its heading. But by the end, things are wrapped up quite nicely and everything makes sense, even if the characters on the outside seem twisted and crazed.
Vicky Krieps is a pleasant surprise in her role as Woodcock's sometimes-lover-sometimes-not. Even standing next to the formidable Day-Lewis, she holds her own and doesn't stand under Day-Lewis' shadow. She is a standout and really helps bring some of the absurd scenarios to life and makes them believable.
As the film goes on and gets darker, the music creeps in and becomes unbearable, while the characters feel evil. This works well to create a sense of claustrophobia. This feeling pervades until the very last few scenes.
This film conveys its own atmosphere onto the audience perhaps better than any other Oscar-contender this year. Even when that atmosphere isn't entirely enjoyable.
But that's not to say that it doesn't have its enjoyable moments. It has a surprisingly large amount of genuinely comedic one-liners. Most of it stems from Woodcock's fussiness, so while laughing, the other part of your brain is thinking, I shouldn't be laughing at this guy, he's a jerk.
And that is truly the strength of this film. Even these characters who do things that seem so despicable and so strange, are entirely understandable and relatable by the end.
{★★★1/2}
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