Grade: B-
Phantom Thread is the most soft-spoken movie of the year. It is not “whisper acting” – a term I use derogatorily when I use it. Here, the lines, though quiet, have power, meaning, and significance. It made me lean in and listen.
Did I like it? I am not certain. I debated very hard between the two grades that are my split between “I liked it” and “I didn’t like it.” My benefit of the doubt won out, and I have settled on the higher of the two.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood), the film takes place in an unspecified time, but based on clues, probably the mid-1950s. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the terrifically named Reynolds Woodcock – a dressmaker. He is anal-retentive and demanding; the kind of man who goes to the bathroom to be sick because a garment-in-progress is “ugly.” One day, while getting his car serviced, he wanders into a diner and takes a liking to his young waitress, Alma (the sweet-faced Vicky Krieps). He asks her to dinner, she accepts, they go to his home where he begins making a dress for her, and she becomes his lover and his inspiration. But he is insecure, introverted, and temperamental. In one scene, Alma decides to surprise him by cooking dinner, and apparently does too much guesswork. “Right now I’m just admiring my own gallantry for eating it the way you’ve prepared it,” he bluntly blurts out.
Day-Lewis has a lovely sweet voice here, even when what he says isn’t pleasant. Like Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name, it is a pleasure to just listen to him. Last summer, he announced that he is retiring from acting, and this will be his last film, but I feel like he’s threatened this before, like Sean Penn has done a couple of times. Here’s to hoping he ends up not calling it a day…Lewis. Best Supporting Actress nominee Lesley Manville makes the most out of her screen time as Mr. Woodcock’s sister – the one and only person who can one-up him in a verbal battle of wits.
Phantom Thread is an interesting movie. It requires patience, open-mindedness, and attention. It is very easy to check out if you don’t stay with it. This is a film that will challenge you. Let it.
Grade: B-
Film Reviews by Mark 
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