Phantom Thread: Weaving the Facets of a Character

One of the greatest living directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, doesn’t disappoint at directing one of the greatest living actors, Daniel Day Lewis, in what is supposed to be his latest performance. Phantom Thread tells the story of Reynolds Woodcock (Day Lewis), a dress maker and fashion designer as he meets and falls in love with Alma (Vicky Krieps), who at first finds him alluring but with time starts growing continously disenchanted with Woodcock’s form of living. The film shows quickly shows its prowess as a thorough character deconstruction and a fascinating period piece into a world which doesn’t get much focus on the cinema landscape.

The first we’ll be looking at is of course the performances, and it goes without saying that Daniel Day Lewis delivers a homerun with this one. Sure, in a career full of great acting achievements it is hard to deliver a stand-out, but he certainly does with this one, echoing the brutal control of There Will Be Blood (also directed by Anderson) and the subtle grace of Lincoln. We’ve come to expect greatness from Day Lewis, but his embodiment of this complex but ultimately petty figure is one that should be remembered for ages to come. Along him star Lesley Manville, who stars as he meticoulous manager Cyrill, and Vicky Krieps as he new-found muse Alma, both who embody a very compelling dynamic as they compete for Reynold’s attention. Also, in a very reduced role, I thought Harriet Sansom Harris was very outstanding in her role as Barbara Rose in the limited screen time she received.

Paul Thomas Anderson is naturally great in his position, delivering a vision of a man who isn’t necessarily likeable and a world that isn’t necessarily accesible. In a filmography that is filled with great masterpieces it is hard to rank where this piece stands, but it is safe to say that it probably ranks among his better works (I’ll say it doesn’t top neither There Will Be Blood nor Boogie Nights, but it does come close or at leats hits in the same region as The Master in my book). The screenplay, written by Anderson himself, was quite clever and surprisingly funny, a welcome turn in such a “serious” drama. Also, worth mentioning is the costume design by Mark Bridges, it of course being a movie about fashion being self-explanatory that it would excel in this area. And the music, composed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, may just top The Shape of Water for my favourite score of 2017.

Going into the most analytical aspects of this review, we can say that some of the main themes that this film deals with are ego, creativity and love. You can say that ego and creativity go hand in hand, as Reynolds’ ego depends on his own work and abilities that have gotten him to where he stands and how he goes on with the world. His profession -he considers himself to be an artist- has gained him status, and he goes out of his way to show that this status has been rightfully earned. The third theme is love, but not in the senes we expect from the typical Hollywood movie where the main characters fall in love in spite of their difference, no, in this case it is exacly the reason why it works, the differences that make the relationship toxic and all sorts of screwed up, these are the reasons that show the audience how this self-destructive relationship works in the first place.

Phantom Thread has been nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and Actor. If the academy were fair, they’d give this film what it deserves. But we know that that’s not how they play. Still, that shouldn’t dether any potential viewers of watching this masterpiece. It may appear to be slow at times, but seldom will you find such a carefully woven and meticulously detailed character study in contemporary american cinema. There are still a few films to go until I’ve seen all the greats that 2017 had to offer, but it might be (just might) that The Square has a new competitor for the top spot.