Review: Phantom Thread

Image courtesy of Focus Features.

Reynolds Woodcock is a meticulous man and a slave to his obsessions and routines. This suits him well in the world of high fashion, but not so much in his personal life. As the film opens, Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is relieving his latest love interest of her duties after having a particularly frigid breakfast that is accompanied, as always, by his no-nonsense sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville).

"Phantom Thread," the latest cinematic rapture from director Paul Thomas Anderson, is a fascinating study of how far people will allow themselves to be pushed if it enables them to remain by the side of a brilliant artist. But even more, it's an often tense and surprisingly funny game of domination that includes Woodcock, his sister and Alma (Vicky Krieps), a waitress to whom Woodcock takes a shine and then invites to live with him as employee, caretaker and mistress.

Shot on 70mm - and I highly urge you to watch it screened in the way it was meant to be seen - Anderson's film is visually gorgeous, from the haute couture on display to the gorgeous shots of faces illuminated by firelight and a beautifully filmed scene of New Year's Eve decadence. Equally impressive is the sharp writing in which the three leads get in stinging barbs and betray their true feelings all within a sentence. Most impressive of all is that Anderson is responsible for both the script (as usual) and - for the first time - cinematography.

One of the film's great revelations is to watch how the relationships between the characters shift during the course of the picture. In an early scene, a character kisses another on the cheek, and this is seen not only as a sign of affection, but also weakness. Later in the film, the opposite character delivers the kiss to the former giver.

Woodcock exerts control by sticking to his routine: designing clothes on a notepad at breakfast while surrounded by complete silence, not engaging in "confrontations" with personal relations and closely examining the work of his seamstresses, who work at his house. From the moment we meet Alma, we know she's trouble - at least, for Woodcock. He knows this too and welcomes it. The picture slyly insinuates that Woodcock is resistant to changing his fastidious behavior, while it is clear that he wants someone to challenge him.

This is particularly punctuated by two scenes that I can't exactly describe here without giving away too much, but suffice it to say that two of Woodcock's meals are purposefully ruined - and I mean ruined - and when the fashion designer realizes the how and why of the matter, well, let's just say it drives home the central struggle between the two lead characters in a fascinating manner. Throughout the film, characters subtly - or not so subtly - tell each other that they intend to win the game of domination that is being played for power in the Woodcock household ("If you want to have a staring contest with me, you will lose" or another in which a character vows that if they engage in a verbal tangle, their opponent will end up in a grave, at least metaphorically).

Anderson is easily one of the best filmmakers of his generation and, arguably, the best American director currently working. He tends to focus on period pieces - including this one, but also the remarkable "There Will Be Blood," "Boogie Nights," "The Master" and "Inherent Vice." His films set in the eras in which he shot them - "Magnolia" and "Punch Drunk Love" - are no less impressive. "Phantom Thread" is rich in every sense. This is a film that has great depth, beautiful visuals and masterful storytelling.

As for the performances, if this is truly Day-Lewis' last film, then he has gone out with a bang. Krieps deserves some type of award for holding her own, scene for scene, against Day-Lewis, while Manville is icily brilliant. And Jonny Greenwood - who provided the memorable score for "There Will Be Blood" - works wonders again here. "Phantom Thread" is a film in which all of the various pieces fit together to make up an impressive puzzle. This is one of the year's best movies.