(spoiler free)
If there’s a name synonymous with film awards it’s Daniel Day-Lewis. Therefore it’s no surprise to see him starring in a picture in the midst of awards season. Joining forces once more with previous collaborator, Paul Thomas Anderson, the pair are back at it again with new romantic drama ‘Phantom Thread’. Apparently this is to be Day-Lewis’ last acting role so could writer & director Anderson provide a fitting final role for the much decorated performer?
‘Phantom Thread’ follows a renowned dressmaker, Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis) and his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville) as they dress the most prestigious members of society. Woodcock’s regimented routine is somewhat disrupted when he meets a young waitress called Alma (Vicky Krieps) and the pair begin a romantic relationship together. It’s fair to say that the narrative is rather sparse here, audiences will have to be content with our characters maneuvering their new relationships whilst not a lot else happens. The film is slow to start and for the first act of the film it’s slightly difficult to settle into the story as it’s apparent that the pace is going to be slow. However, as the film develops so did my intrigue and I quickly found myself vastly more engaged than I had anticipated. One element that was crucial in securing this engagement was Jonny Greenwood’s beautiful score. Composed mainly of piano and orchestral pieces Greenwood’s score kept the story light and romantic. Without this ‘Phantom Thread’ would have been a painfully dull affair and it certainly would have dragged.
As intricate as the threading on the most complicated of dresses the character dynamics created by Anderson, and brought to life by his talented cast, were a delight to watch. Woodcock is such a particular man, portrayed wonderfully by Day-Lewis, so any disruption, good or bad, was fascinating to watch. The relationship between him and his sister was similarly entertaining as this interestingly develops over the run-time, helped hugely by Manville’s confident turn as Reynold’s headstrong sibling. The chemistry both of these characters have with Alma spawns much of the content for the film and it was these thoughtful dynamics which often lead to simple touches of humour arising throughout the film. At the beginning of the film it would have been hard to believe that moments like these would have been possible, however with the benefit of hindsight the careful setting up of characters and situations has clearly allowed this comedic moments to feature so naturally.
Ultimately, ‘Phantom Thread’ isn’t dissimilar to what I imagine a dress fitting to be like; slightly tedious to begin with and potentially difficult to see what the finished product might amount to but in the end a worthwhile experience. It won’t be for the masses and will require patience of it’s audiences but those willing to give it their full attention will be rewarded with a complex yet comical character study, which could just be a dark horse this awards season.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 7/10
Question: What is your favourite Daniel Day-Lewis performance?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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