Directed by:
Paul Thomas AndersonScreenplay:
Paul Thomas AndersonCinematography:
Paul Thomas AndersonComposer:
Jonny GreenwoodCast:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Richard Graham, Camilla Rutherford, Jason Redshaw, Cedric Tylleman, Gina McKee, Brian Gleeson (more)VOD (3)
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Set in the glamour of 1950’s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love. With his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson paints an illuminating portrait both of an artist on a creative journey, and the women who keep his world running. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (11)
This is what Basic Instinct could have looked like in the sixties. Lots of dark thoughts and inner motivations wrapped up in the irresistibly aristocratic style of the mid-twentieth century British bourgeoisie. A clash of two completely different personalities, a duel of two strong characters, a battle of an outwardly powerful man vs an inwardly even more powerful woman. There's no point in addressing the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson is a master of emotions, Daniel Day-Lewis plays "the grand finale" and Vicky Krieps doesn't act but just "is". Is there any point in addressing why this strong melodrama, heading towards a crushing finale, suddenly turns towards black-humour in the very end? That is such a shame! If that doesn't bother you, you’ll have a five-star experience.
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It's been a long, long time since I've seen a film that flows so gracefully. P.T. Anderson is an Artist, Day-Lewis displays an excruciating lightness of acting, Vicky Krieps is a tremendous acting discovery, and the music, the brilliant music, suits the film as well as Woodcock's dress suits the women. The way the story builds up and ends cynically was a feast for my senses and black-humored soul. Fantastic experience!
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Phantom Thread is a prime example of a film with obvious Oscar ambitions, which it manages to pull off thanks to convincing performances (Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville) and a solid premise. However, despite these quality attributes, what bothered me personally about the film was its overly plodding pace and the absence of the more tense scenes that the script literally invited. In terms of acting, I liked the dinner for two and the delirium in illness scenes. I'm aware that I witnessed an acting tour-de-force and a well-written piece, but I was not captivated and intrigued by its tones enough to go higher with my rating.
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Acting-wise, there's probably nothing much to fault with Phantom Thread, although it's too bad that Daniel Day-Lewis is saying goodbye, but it's his choice and it's a good send-off, showing once again what a great actor he is. But plot-wise, the film failed to pull me in as much as I had hoped, but that's almost always the case with Anderson's films.
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The relationship between an anal-retentive insensitive machine and a romantic honest soul could hardly be portrayed more convincingly. Anderson lets the story flow easily and puts Woodcock’s daily routine front-stage, gradually increasing the intensity of the conflicts that will so thoroughly turn upside down the world of the protagonist. The narrative structure is held without a single stumble and the superb music and great performances make this film something more than just a cold work of art – its coldness and focus are so remarkable that I almost forgave it for not keeping my full attention in all the scenes and that the end arrived at a moment when I still didn’t want it. I might forgive that with time, but now I can humbly admire the surgical precision of the direction and pray that films like this will not be only an exception. 85%
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