Phantom Thread (2017) Review

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

It is never easy to find your match because when you think you do, it might not be what you imagined.


PLOT


2017’s Phantom Thread takes place in 1954 London and follows Reynolds Woodock who creates dresses for high/royal society. Although many clients view him to a genius, he is shown to be an obsessive and controlling person. His sister Cyril is the only one that manages his day-to-day operations  to the point where she prevents him from being distracted from his work. With their mother’s death making him superstitious, Reynolds stitches hidden messages into the lining of each of his creations. After designing a new gown for Lady Harding, he goes to a restaurant near his country house and falls for a waitress named Alma Elson. After one dinner together, their relationship quickly blossoms to the point where she moves in and she becomes his lover, muse & model. Although Cyril initially mistrusts her, she respects her willingness to make things work. That all comes to change when she finds out he’s difficult to please. Alma does try to show her love when surprising him with a romantic dinner, but he only sees it as an ambush. Tired of him being unappreciative, she poisons his tea with wild mushrooms and he collapses in the midst of readying a wedding gown for a Belgian princess. When she nurses him back to health, he proposes to her and she hesitantly accepts. After their honeymoon, Cyril warns her brother that he could be losing his touch now that Lady Harding now clients to a rival fashion house. This leads to him resuming her domineering self and blames Alma for upending his routines. Because she overhears this, she poisons him again with the same mushrooms and puts them in an omelet. On the first bite, he realizes what she did when she says she wants him weak & vulnerable then strong again after being taken care of again. When lying ill again, she imagines a future with him, having children and having a bigger role in the dressmaking business. The film ends with her still believing their love can overcome their constant challenges.


THOUGHTS


Paul Thomas Anderson will always be looked at as the most experimental filmmaker out there because each story he tells is a whole other experience. You feel the two hours that pass here because he wants you to feel all the intensity of a relationship that was never meant to be. You’re moved with the beautiful costume design by Oscar winner Mark Bridges that makes you also feel the presence of prestige. And the beautiful cinematography by Anderson keeps that vibe going. Putting aside a score by Jonny Greenwood that feels so soothing, I think this movie stands out for the right reasons being that it reminds viewers there must always be a balance in collaboration with every relationship, otherwise it won’t work out the way you want it to. This is the case following the dynamic of Daniel Day-Lewis & Vicky Krieps as Reynolds & Alma respectively. Daniel shows the former to be quite an enigma for the worst because he’s too obsessed with perfection that he can never please himself with end results. With him missing his mom so much that he makes part of her work in spirit, it is clear he doesn’t think any woman will be as special to him the way she was. You can’t exactly say Cyril is close to it because although she’s sentimentally protective of a sister, Lesley Manville shows her to be so formidably organized that she ain’t gonna let him get away with pressing his ego onto her and she always lets him know it. Krieps in a way makes Alma most likable because she’s not trying to ruin anything in motion, but just wants to be an equal and prove her resilience with her opinion. You can say Reynolds was so drawn to her companionship that he considered a maternal connection that he missed, but because he wasn’t ready to change his lifestyle that is let go of control, it was hard for him to understand relationships are never one-sided in order to work. Alma of course catches on to how it bothers him and she’s so enamored with him because she wants the control he has, but she understandably ain’t gonna be patiently waiting for him to change on his time thus being irrational when poisoning him. Ironically, the second time was the charm for him to realize how much he should appreciate someone that allows him to be vulnerable which is the point of having a relationship, having someone to trust. It is a relief Cyril doesn’t know this secret because that would’ve been chaotic of a fallout. If the two really do have a family in their future, let’s hope they don’t have to keep harming each other to show appreciation because that’s just a terrible example of codependency. In short, Phantom Thread is a worthy Best Picture nominee because for showing how unpredictable of a roller coaster love can put people through. If you want something that is not as simple as it seems, check this out.