Phantom Thread (2017) ***1/2
Paul Thomas Anderson is certainly a director whose films don't always bowl me over on first viewing. I wasn't in love with either The Master (2012) or Inherent Vice (2014) the first time I saw either, though I appreciated his impeccable craft in both cases. I warmed to both films on "Take 2" and in the case of Vice, reading the book before my second viewing helped a great deal.
So we come to Phantom Thread (2017), a film that I absolutely need another viewing to properly gauge how I feel about it. Again, the technique is virtually flawless—the costumes, production design and acting is all high caliber, but my first impression leaves me underwhelmed. Thread feels a bit too straightforward for a PTA film. The characteristics and mannerisms of the two leads feel familiar for those who've seen Anderson's previous films, but there's not enough..."oddness" to them. There's subtle sociopathic jabs that occur but never any truly cathartic, bombastic moments—clearly an intentional choice and maybe I'll appreciate it more next time.
For now, it's still one of the best films of the year, but one that currently sits the lowest on my PTA rankings. You can view my Paul Thomas Anderson Feature Films Ranked list here.
So we come to Phantom Thread (2017), a film that I absolutely need another viewing to properly gauge how I feel about it. Again, the technique is virtually flawless—the costumes, production design and acting is all high caliber, but my first impression leaves me underwhelmed. Thread feels a bit too straightforward for a PTA film. The characteristics and mannerisms of the two leads feel familiar for those who've seen Anderson's previous films, but there's not enough..."oddness" to them. There's subtle sociopathic jabs that occur but never any truly cathartic, bombastic moments—clearly an intentional choice and maybe I'll appreciate it more next time.
For now, it's still one of the best films of the year, but one that currently sits the lowest on my PTA rankings. You can view my Paul Thomas Anderson Feature Films Ranked list here.
Comments
Post a Comment