Jeff's Reviews

Thoughts on every movie I've ever seen.

Phantom Thread (2017)

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Sue Clark

Author

Awkward relationships and awkward pacing, mixed with beautiful costumes and sets, seductive camera movements, and a pleasantly simple score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. The whole thing has an odd feel. Unfortunately, it’s also slow as hell. There’s not much story here.

Day-Lewis once again nails an eccentric, obsessed, and emotionally charged character, Manville is a delightful hard-ass, and new face Vicky Krieps turns in a confident period performance. The exploration of the relationships between all these characters is the meat of the film, with some scenes having real tension. Long takes and Greenwood’s droning score in a minor key help to make things even more tense.

This is a costume designer’s wet dream. Not sure I understand the title. Anderson’s an interesting director. He’s made dozens of shorts, and then every few years he’ll dump a heavy art film on us.

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