Review #1,322: 'Phantom Thread' (2017)

A new film from writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson is always a cause for celebration among film buffs. Apart from his underwhelming 1996 debut Hard Eight and 2014's messy Inherent Vice (which I still enjoyed despite the constant head-scratching), Anderson's output is always something to savour with repeat viewings. But his latest, a sumptuous and idiosyncratic love story set in 1950's London, is not only noteworthy for being the work of the one of the finest filmmakers of recent times, but for the announcement that this will be the final big screen appearance of Daniel Day-Lewis, an actor whose frequent returns to cinema after long periods away always mark a reason to sit up and get excited.

Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a famous fashion designer who creates the most wonderful and elegant dresses for the ladies of high society, who clearly pay top dollar for his services. He is charismatic and handsome, but also impulsive and quick-tempered. Woodcock is a man of routine who insists on starting the day with a large breakfast and, most importantly, quiet. We first meet him sharing the breakfast table with his latest squeeze, and he scowls at the sight of a pastry offered by her. His sister Cyril (Lesley Manville), who he shares his large residence with, has witnessed her brother's cycle of excitement and boredom with attractive ladies many times before, and quickly sets up plans to remove the poor girl from their home and his life. He talks of his late mother and a growing sense of unease. It's clear he's in dire need of a new muse to keep the creative juices flowing.

His mood quickly improves when he has breakfast at a nearby hotel and has his attention grabbed by the clumsy yet beautiful Alma (Vicky Krieps). He invites her to dinner and does most of the talking, telling stories of his past and his fondness for sowing hidden messages within the dresses he creates. In his own suit jacket, he keeps a lock of his mother's hair. Alma is swept away by this charming man, and agrees to a dress fitting despite the intimidating presence of Cyril. Soon enough, she notices a gradual change in Woodcock's mood, and Cyril braces herself for the inevitable. But Alma loves and feels that she understands the mysterious and exciting genius, and concocts a plan to keep a hold of him forever. Indeed, Phantom Thread is possibly the oddest and most mesmerising love story since Punch-Drunk Love, Anderson's 2002 dark comedy and still his greatest film to date.

The director has always worn his influences on his sleeve, and Phantom Thread is infused with an aura of Kubrick, and a heavy lashing of Hitchcock. It's probably his most straight-forward film, but there is an obliqueness to the story also. The narrative veers off into almost fairy-tale territory, as Alma sets in motion her grand scheme. It all moves along at a dazzling, hypnotic pace with the assistance of Johnny Greenwood's classical score and Anderson's constantly gliding camera. If this is truly the final performance of Daniel Day-Lewis, he is certainly ending in a high note with one of the finest performances of his career and further cements his place as one of, if not the, finest actor to ever grace our screens. Manville is also fantastic as the cold and shrewd Cyril, a woman who has seemingly dedicated her life to her mummy's-boy sibling, with whom she shares a relationship that often feels incestuous. Krieps is radiant, simmering with intensity as she refuses to become yet another muse to be shown a quick exit. Phantom Thread is not for everyone, but Anderson's films never are. Despite the period setting, this is a truly modern love story, and one with the power to both warm the heart and genuinely horrify.


Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Brian Gleeson, Gina McKee
Country: USA/UK

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie