Phantom Thread‘s theoretically Daniel-Day Lewis’s last performance (please say it aint so though!). He plays Reynolds Woodcock, a 1950s London dressmaker obsessed with perfection, and given they dependency he and his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville), seem to share, this is something.
Things are shaken up when he meets Alma (Vicky Krieps) in the countryside. Paul Thomas Anderson, the director (doing the likes of Magnolia and There Will Be Blood before), really appears to be in a comfort zone here, building up subtle relationships and complicating them when characters step outside comfort zones. Plus, amazing cinematography helps underline these themes, especially as Alma develops a counter-strength.
The humour’s worth pointing out as well, I mean, I won’t give the joke away, but who’d have thought breakfast could be so funny..
On another note, Daniel Day-Lewis’s English, so the setting’s a nice full-circle element if this is indeed his last role. Whether you check this out because of him or Anderson, either option’s good, but mostly Lewis’s worth it :P.
Mad About Movies 