PHANTOM THREAD


I found Phantom Thread to be a pretentious bore. Daniel Day-Lewis–who claims this is his final film performance–plays a obsessive-compulsive dress maker named Reynolds Woodcock. Woodcock meets a clumsy waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps) and transforms her into a model. Woodcock’s sister (Lesley Manville) runs the House of Woodcock with an iron fist. Alma falls in love with Woodcock, but Woodcock only has room in his life for his Art. So, Alma comes up with a surprisingly innovative strategy to earn Woodcock’s love. It felt like Phantom Thread was four hours long. If you love fashion and dress making maybe you’ll enjoy this movie. GRADE: C

12 thoughts on “PHANTOM THREAD

  1. Steve Oerkfitz

    I’m a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Hard 8, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love) but have been putting this off . It just doesn’t look interesting to me.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Meyerson

    I’m NOT a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson, a critics’ darling whose movies are overlong and overrated, in my opinion (for the most part). BOOGIE NIGHTS had its moments, but otherwise, not for me. “Pretentious bore” is the way the trailer looked to me, and even Day-Lewis won’t get me to shell out for this.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, PHANTOM THREAD seemed interminable to me. Daniel Day-Lewis and the talented cast did the best they could with a flawed project.

      Reply
  3. Patti Abbott

    Well, I will stick up for this although I can see why many would dislike it. I think Alma intuits the death of his mother destroyed Reynolds and only by taking on that role was she able to make her marriage work. Lots of similarities to REBECCA. Selfish men still manage to attract women. It was beautiful to look at, the acting was terrific and this is a character you don’t see in every other film. I am fairly tolerant of unlikable characters and in this case, it really surprised me with its solution to the mess he was making of his marriage. Plus she was a woman who fought back. Good discussions of this on various film podcasts. Lots of people hate it. You are in the majority, George.

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  4. Beth Fedyn

    Wilba is visiting soon and wants to see this.

    I’m not a fan of Daniel Day Lewis anyway.

    This may be one I’ll sleep thru.

    Reply
      1. wolf

        A bit late:
        Just saw some racing reports on this in the German media, especially on Vicky Krieps (who’s from Luxemburg btw). And people here are angry that she’s not nominated for an award!

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