2017
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Continuing our theme of romantic movies for February, we come to Phantom Thread, a story about an obsessive artist and his muse. This is a trope that I am not overly fond of: man treats woman like a toy, becomes bored with his toy, but it is all in the name of "art" so it's somehow heartbreaking but necessary. Well, Day-Lewis was well-cast as an obsessive egotistical artist, I'll give them that much.
Reynolds Woodcock is a dressmaker in 1950s London who designs dresses ranging in quality from ugly, to not-quite-as-bad-as-the-last-one. He falls for a foreign waitress, Alma, and their meeting is actually my favorite moment of the movie. The way they imbued ordinary dialogue with so much meaning was really inspired. Of course, Day-Lewis's character ruined it right after during their date, when he began rubbing off her make up because "he likes seeing who he is talking to." If a man pulled that with me on a first date, or seventy-seventh, it would be a scene and a half. But I guess that's why I am not muse material.
So this is apparently Day-Lewis' last movie, although with Hollywood unashamedly using dead actors and actresses in films who knows. I suppose he wanted to go out with a bang, and what better way is there than to play the role of a tortured Brit who most likely has Asperger's. His character is supposed to be insufferable, which is why Alma is such a remarkable person. But personally, I did not enjoy watching this man child throw tantrum after tantrum.
The Devil Wears Prada, without the fun.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Allegedly Daniel Day-Lewis's final film.
Day-Lewis is 26 years older than his love interest in the movie.
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