Legendary method actor Daniel
Day-Lewis has already announced his retirement.
Time will tell if he will truly remain retired, as it’s not unusual for
celebrated figures to come out of retirement.
Till then, Phantom Thread serves
as his final film.
Set during post-war 1950’s
London, the plot centers on Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis), a much-renowned haute couture dressmaker. Though charming and brilliant in his craft, he’s
also overbearing, obsessive, and eccentric.
Women come and go through his life. When she no longer
inspires him – or, worse, distracts him – he sends her away. One
day, he meets a young, strong-willed waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps), and he
may finally have met his match.
Can Phantom Thread be considered a romantic love story? Yes, in a sense, it can. But it’s not “romantic” in the typical
meaning of the word. It presents the
most remarkably twisted, unconventional romantic dynamic I’ve seen in film
since 2002’s Secretary. It’s a dark
love story. Reynolds and Alma’s
relationship only ultimately works because it’s fictional, and it’s designed to
be logical. But in real life, it’s arguably
unhealthy and unsound.
As an Oscar-bait film, Phantom Thread has the
merits of being technically exquisite. The
cinematography and production design make it visually stylish to perfection. This aspect is what keeps the audience’s fixed
on the film from start to finish. Make
no mistake: director Paul Thomas Anderson weaves the narrative as masterfully as
Reynold weaves his fine dresses. However,
just like dressmaking, the process can get tedious; the beauty is only fully
realized in the finished product. And, thus, in the case of this movie, it is the visuals –
assisted by John Greenwood’s spellbinding score – that make one go through any tedious
parts with ease.
Like almost all of Anderson’s
films, Phantom Thread has no universal
appeal. I’m sure that many mainstream audiences won’t like
it. It will come off as pretentious and
boring to others. I can’t really blame them. But for me, it’s an
immaculate, humorous, psychological period drama that serves as a pleasing Daniel
Day-Lewis swan song (until he decides to come out of retirement).
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