Phantom Thread

⭐ 9/10

I saw this movie in theatres when it came out, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. With One Battle After Another being talked about so much, I thought I would revisit PTA's previous movie, one that I thought I liked but most remember being confused by. It is just so bizarre, a movie that starts so seriously but then gets kind of funny, and then twisted. It's about a dress maker who is very particular in all aspects of life. He comes across a woman, she sort of becomes his muse, they sort of fall in love, and then it becomes a power struggle.

What drew me back in, and is probably the lasting memory of this movie, is the Daniel Day Lewis performance. He is so so magnetic as this obsessive genius, a character type I always love on screen. Every little facial tick is perfection, this guy feels like a completely real person. DDL did his classic method thing, learning how to make dresses apparently, and I truly think it pays off here. Even the way he looks at clothes, and at women, you can just see depth behind his eyes. I always say I know nothing about acting, but its undeniable how much of a powerhouse he is.

For a movie based around fashion its also stunning to look at, with this London fashion house being the main setting. All the tight stairwells and corridors, but also his country home equipped for his work, just unforgettable settings shot in picturesque ways. With One Battle there has been lots of chatter about format, and honestly who cares, but this was shot on film and you can actually feel it. It's completely of a time.

I still don't know what the point is here, but as I said I've been thinking about it for so long. The relationship between Reynolds Woodcock (awesome name) and Alma, but also his sister, are so particular. Speaking of powerhouses, I think both women completely hang with DDL, and when the power dynamic shifts it is believable. I want to say I understood where we leave all these characters better this time, but I am not sure I do.

The movie has grown in my mind since the first time I saw it, and I was a bit worried a rewatch would diminish it. The opposite, especially watching with Jess thinking she would like it, getting 45 minutes in a being convinced she hated it, and then her also being baffled by the final minutes. I am a mark for these tortured genius movies, but also love seeing what people will do to get close to genius, to influence that genius, or even how just why they are attracted to it at all. Very hard movie to recommend, but I love it.