KISS ME MY GIRL BEFORE I'M SICK
Phantom Thread is a movie woven from countless moments of extreme refinement, each of which has been carefully crafted, such as the hero and heroine's first meeting - well-dressed in the dining room window While waiting for the order, she was a waiter in the restaurant, and she stumbled awkwardly on her way forward anxiously, but she didn't expect this awkward moment to fascinate him. She jots down his breakfast—Welsh toast, muffins, and sausages—and shyly responds to his warm smile, with a hint of nervousness and mischief in her eyes.
"Did you remember?" he asked her, taking away the document in her hand.
She really did remember it all.
In this bizarrely engrossing film set in 1950s England, director Paul Thomas Anderson "wouldn't want to" cobble together the film's quirky and slightly random details to make it a The greatest fun of the movie, let people put it down. Even this sweet encounter between the hero and heroine, Reynolds Woodcock ( Daniel Day-Lewis ), the premier London fashion designer, and Alma ( Vicky Krieps ), a young waitress of unknown origin. From this scene, we can see the beginning of the violent chemical reaction between the two, the tense temptation, the extraordinary beginning (of course, this relationship soon turned black and violent), the clear breakfast, her clumsiness, his lust, her His enthusiastic service and his wanton flirting have all become the beginning of their emotional challenges in the future.
Alma passed Reynolds' first test, followed by the next. That night, after dinner with Reynolds, she went home with him, stripped off her robes, and was greeted not by the blissful romance of her dreams. Amazingly, he began to study her body, measuring one by one, and told the data to his sister and business partner Cyril ( Le esley Manville) , and she appeared by his side as usual.
It is not easy for ordinary people to understand the behavior of two brothers and sisters, and it takes a long time to adapt. But Alma is so sensitive and meticulous, she quickly realizes that she is only the latest in his many models, and for this relationship, she must pay a firmer will. Just as Reynolds could be just one of a thousand roles that fit her, he will soon experience a day when his image will crumble.
Thus, the gentle and violent love story of "Phantom Thread" begins. And it's also a dark romantic comedy, an invitation to a bygone world. In Daniel Day-Lewis' curtain call, we see indelible characters, a frenzied, demanding middle-aged man, an unexpectedly repulsive portrait of the artist.
In a way, Alma's actions confuse viewers even more. Shortly after their encounter, she became Reynolds' lover and assistant, and settled in Woodcock's London villa. In this crowded corridor and stairwell, she seems to have lost her way into the unknown. Here, foreign princesses and local ladies frantically pursue their favorite attire. But whether Alma is showing Reynolds' work on the runway or just standing there, she's always quick to regain her footing.
Perhaps Alma knew himself better than Reynolds, and thus her fierce protection of Woodcock's reputation was the most ardently romantic gesture in a love story. However, when she decides to fall in love with him desperately, she finds herself in the middle of a storm. She is no longer willing to stop at his muse, but quietly, trying to integrate herself into his daily routine
Reynolds' labor is even more amazing, in part because the film's costume designer, Mark Bridges, never seems to have wanted to wow us. Much of Woodcock's haute couture looked heavy and stiff, indicating social glamour, with a few subtle exceptions, such as a lace-trimmed red gown inspired by Alma's waitress uniforms. The gowns were stunning, lavender, green, and gold, with the architectural rigour of 50th-century England, and that's no accident.
We can easily see why Cyril has devoted his life to defending his grand cause with his brother, making sure no one can crush his attention. Cyril's character, like Judith Anderson's Mrs. Danvers in " Rebecca ," is as powerful and malevolent as she is, and her every appearance is like a triumphant show, a silent one A symphony of sympathy, casting alternately sarcastic and sympathetic glances at Alma.
But if Alma seems to be the most volatile and sacrificial member of this interdependent triangle, she has a gift for successfully confounding Woodcock's expectations at every turn. Unlike Darren Aronofsky's "Mother," "Phantom Thread" is a dry comedy allegory about an opinionated male artist and a female muse who patiently nurtures him. Anderson's films may not be as crazy as Aronofsky's, but if anything surpasses A's work, it's his belief that his art deserves more of his time than the women around him.
This isn't the first time Anderson has slyly upended the dynamics of a marriage, think of the sparkling eyes of Amy Adams in "The Master," the woman who silently claims to control her husband, the cultural leader. It's also not the first time he's pulled us out of a relationship that was doomed to be destructive in the first place, but simply expressed a surprising optimism about their survival.
Perhaps most importantly, the film reminds us that few contemporary American filmmakers have been able to, after the dizzying spectacles of Boogie Nights and Magnolia, still be as good as Paul Thomas Anderson. Follow his intuition in a more fanatical and unique direction. Phantom Thread is a gorgeous, soulful homage to a classic romantic comedy, but also a daring escape, not just because it's Anderson's first work located outside of the United States, but also from the The director himself shot 35mm film, and Johnny Greenwood ( Radiohead ) wonderful piano score. It's not just the stunning imagery that keeps you in front of the screen, it's the unnervingly exploratory atmosphere that conveys a movie-going feeling like never before.
Courtesy of Justin Chang, December 2017
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