breheneyjames

'I, Tonya' is written by Steven Rogers and directed by Craig Gillespie and stars Margot Robbie as disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. It covers the time between when Tonya was just 6 years old all the way up to her sentencing for the organised attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. Allison Janney plays Lavona Harding, Tonya's despicable abusive mother, in a well deserved Oscar winning performance. Sebastian Stan plays Tonya's husband Jeff Gillooly. The entire cast is excellent in their respective parts they play in the story but it's the barnstorming performances by Robbie and Janney that really win you over. In the genre of biopics this is very much reminiscent of Scorsese's 'Wolf of Wall Street' in the way the story is told using voice over and fourth wall breaks. Many also called it the 'Goodfellas' of ice skating and I can see why to some extent but I definitely feel it has more in common with the former Scorsese picture.

The direction and editing are very sharp and swift here and seamlessly interweave interviews from the characters after the incident with the events leading up to it as they unfold. Steven Rogers deserves a lot of credit too for his great screenplay. Not only did he specifically write the part of Lavona for Janney (a role she was seemingly born to play) but he skillfully balanced comedy with an issue as sensitive as domestic abuse. The movie also doesn't try to make Tonya out to be a total victim but instead opts to show how her relationships with her mother and husband shaped who she became- I highly appreciated this approach of the film.

Perhaps deserving of the most credit and praise is Margot Robbie who not only gives a great performance in the title role but also produced the movie and helped get it off the ground when no one else wanted to make it. All in all 'I, Tonya' is a fast-paced, superbly acted and superior biopic.

'Phantom Thread' is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and stars Daniel Day Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock, a fastidious fashion designer in 1950's post-war London. Vicky Krieps stars opposite as Velma, a confident strong willed woman who completely disrupts his entire way of life when they meet in a countryside hotel. Lesley Manville has a scene stealing role as Reynolds' sister Cyril who helps him design and make dresses for royalty and the like. The film has a very deliberate pace as is often the case with PTA movies and he uses long takes to elevate tension and suspense very well here. He evokes Hitchcock very much in this movie not just with the story but with something as simple as the way the driving scenes are shot with the camera placed behind the car. That element was particularly reminiscent of the driving scenes in 'Psycho'.

Everything about this film from the cinematography (shot by PTA himself), the Oscar winning costume design and to the trio of great performances is full of attention to detail- Rather fitting considering the meticulousness of the protagonist. The script is also worthy of mention which is very witty and starkly funny. However perhaps the strongest element is the beautifully haunting score by Johnny Greenwood which permeates virtually every corner of the movie and drives home the ghostly atmosphere of the story to which the title refers.

The only contrivance I have with 'Phantom Thread' is that it is very slow in some parts and although it seem intentional within context it did take me out of the movie a couple of times but other than that the picture is stellar. I wouldn't say this is PTA's best, that moniker still belongs to 'There Will Be Blood', but it's certainly up there as one of his finest films.

'Lady Bird' is written and directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson. "Lady Bird" is name she gave herself as a rebellious act against her mother Marion played wonderfully by Laurie Metcalf. Lady Bird even remarks near the end film that 'some people won't believe in God but they'll just accept a name given to them by their parents'. Ronan's title character is one of the most rebellious and defiant lead characters of the year topped only by Frances McDormand's Mildred Hayes in 'Three Billboards'. It's very entertaining and at times poignant to watch her verbally spar with her mother over something as tedious as straightening a bed cover in a hotel room. This is testament to both the cast and Gerwig's script which keeps things feeling fresh and new in every scene.

Although I do like this film I don't quite love it like most people do and all the enormous praise it has received over the past few months as lead to being considered one of if not the best film of the year. For me it's not quite up there although it was very pleasant and entertaining to watch. There is a great sense of place present in the movie and it's clear that Gerwig and her title character really do actually love Sacramento as the latter begins to realize when speaking with a nun (Lois Smith) at her school towards the end of the film.

The movie has a great ensemble cast including Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges and Timothee Chalamet who all give decent turns as their respective vital characters. However, it really is carried by Ronan and Metcalf and the best moments are when they are sharing scenes together. It is crazy to think that Ronan who is good in literally everything is on her third Oscar nomination with this film. But then again considering the talent she has maybe it's not crazy at all but expected. So all in all, 'Lady Bird' is a sweet, heartwarming coming-of-age tale that pulls you in with its intriguing script and keeps you their with its magnetic performances.