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)
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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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 pretends to be a posh romance targeted solely at a distinguished audience, which even the silent coughing takes as the grossest vulgarity. However, nothing could be further from the truth, because beneath the surface it boils through the intense subliminal tension of relationships, from which the Mrštík brothers would be captivated by the black-humorous bliss. It is definitely not for everyone (but not in the sense that it is targeted at more demanding viewer), there are a lot of those who will probably like the first half that is more tragic whereas other may prefer the second one that is more pathological and vice versa. At the same time, they go hand in hand and one without the other would not work. Day-Lewis fully deserves to be praised for this performance. It´s not surprising though. However, the fact that the duo Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville is not outshined by him, nor they are just a sparring partner to him, but they manage to keep up with him, despite less grateful roles, is not so often mentioned. But it should have been mentioned. As for Anderson, it is slightly worse, because from his complex filmmaking performance it is difficult to determine whether he is a better cameraman, screenwriter or director. For most of the film makers the Phantom Thread movie would be the highlight of their career and for the rest of their professional life they would strive to make something as good as that. As for Anderson, this movie is the third from the end. And he is still at the beginning of his career.
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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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The film was mind-numbingly boring. The already slow pace of the story was slowed down even more by long shots without any action, in which the highlight was a creaking door. Given such circumstances, the running time was simply too much to bear. The only thing I appreciated about the film was Daniel Day-Lewis' performance and great costumes.
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