PHANTOM THREAD
US, 2017, 130 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Day- Lewis, Vicki Krieps, Lesley Manville, Gina Mc Kee, Brian Gleeson.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
An ingenious and fascinating title.
This is an unexpected story from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. However, every film that Anderson makes is so different from the previous one that he is always unexpected. And this time this is a British story, filmed in England, with British characters and British tone. An American’s perspective on Britain in the post-war period, in the 1950s.
The threat of the title is rather literal. This is a film about fashion. It is a film about the fashion world in London in the 1950s, a focus on an individual dress designers and makers, Reynolds Woodcock, whose life and work is in vivid contrast to the lives and work of French costume years, Dior and Yves St Laurent. (There have been several documentaries and feature films on these two men which highlight the difference between their lives and careers and that of Reynolds Woodcock.)
Paul Thomas Anderson directed Daniel Day Lewis to an Oscar winning-performance in There Shall Be Blood (2007). Daniel Day Lewis is the only actor so far to have won the Oscar for Best Actor three times (My Left Foot and Lincoln). He is an actor who does not make films so frequently but has the capacity to go deeply into his character, to inhabit his character. It has been noted that he does not usually have his own British accent which he does here. His performance is very subtle, eliciting some puzzle from the audience about the intricacies of his character, his moods, his talent, his capacity for relationships – and not.
For the audience interested in fashion, there are many sequences of dressmaking, the wearing of the different creations, and a detailed fashion show.
Reynolds works with his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville, so often in Mike Leigh films, a strong and sometimes astringent presence), who looks after the business side of the House, also keeping an eye on her brother’s emotions and relationships.
The relationship in this part of Reynolds’ life is Alma, effectively played in a mixture of meekness, gentleness, determination and exercise of power, by Luxembourg actress Vicki Krieps. He is attracted to her when she is a waitress serving him breakfast, invites her to dinner, she returns to his house and becomes part of the household, her measurements taken in great detail, dresses designed for her, her wearing them, becoming a model, participating in the fashion show.
But, back to Reynolds. He becomes continually more complex, exceedingly demanding on Alma, fidgety and easily irritated by excessive noise, wanting to concentrate, sketch designs, and is rather absorbed in himself.
The plot becomes more complex as Alma realises her love for Reynolds (but not the co-dependency) which leads her to become more wilful than we thought her capable of – and more wilful than she might ever have dreamt about herself. She devises a way to subdue Reynolds, partly subjugate him, symbolised mushrooms and by her presence as a lavish party for New Year’s Eve and his desperate following her and trying to rescue her from the crowd.
Anderson has directed the film in a very measured way, not concerned about time or fast pace, allowing the camera to stay focused on the character’s face, or on a tense situation for far longer than the audience might be expecting. Anderson wants audiences to get to know his characters, try to empathise with them, try to understand them, to reflect on them. So, a reviewer’s warning, this is definitely not a film for the impatient.
An intriguing film that would probably well repay a second viewing.
1. The impact of the film? Interest? Entertainment? Reflection?
2. Paul Thomas Anderson, writing, directing, the range of his films? A British film, an American perspective on characters and situations?
3. 1950s, post-war atmosphere? Experiences in Britain? The world of affluence, fashion? Homes, studios, social weddings and parties? New Year’s Eve party? The ordinary? The diner, the countryside?
4. The musical score, the range, classical, contemporary?
5. The world of fashion, the British world, the contrast with the famous French costumiers of the period? An individual, creating a House, his talent?
6. Reynolds as young, with his mother, her dress and her appearance later in the film? Sewing as a child? Design? Building a career, the range of clientele, the work of the business and his sister, Cyril? Gaining a reputation, in society? Invited to weddings? His talent?
7. The visuals of fashion, the range of dresses portrayed, in the making, on the models, on Alma? The fashion show and the clientele?
8. The introduction to Reynolds Woodcock? Daniel Day Lewis’s presence, performance, inhabiting his role? Age, appearance, manner, accent? British? The opening, with Cyril, breaking the relationship, his being fastidious about all things and people? Is mother’s dress? The role of Cyril in his life, for his work? Her advice about his having a break? Driving to the countryside, settling into the house, feeling at home?
9. Going for breakfast, Alma waiting on him, his charm, being hungry, the gentle way of speaking, flirting, inviting her to dinner, her dressing up, their going out, enjoying the time together, his being intrigued and attracted by her, her response? Going home?
10. Alma, her background, her age, accent, her work? Charm in waiting on Reynolds? The outing, the flattery to her, his attention? Becoming part of the household? Her work, one of the team working for the dresses, the measurements? Cyril’s attitude towards her? Her becoming part of the ensemble?
11. Alma as a model, her physical transformation, appearance, poise? The scene of the detail of taking her measurements? Her wearing the clothes designed for her?
12. Reynolds and his character, bachelor, audience questions about his sexual orientation, behaviour? Living with Cyril and Alma? The breakfast sequence where he was irritated by all the noise she made? The detail of the toast, pouring the tea…? Energy with Alma? Cyril observing? Reynolds needing space, time, self-preservation?
13. The clients, the Princess and her entourage, their arrival, affluence, deference to royalty? The measurements, the team in attendance, the designs, Reynolds and his imagining the dresses, his sketching? Success, sewing the names into the dresses? Alma and her encounter with the Princess – the Princess not looking at her on arrival, the later friendliness?
14. The fashion show, behind-the-scenes, Reynolds and his work with each of the models, their trying on the dresses, ready, his fussiness, their going out with their numbers, the response of the fashion audience?
15. Barbara, owning the house, allowing Reynolds and his entourage to live there? Her planned wedding? Arrival for the dress, her manner, the way she treated Reynolds? At the wedding, her drinking, her collapse? Her being carried out? Reynolds coming to take the dress, sending in Alma, the hostile friend, undressing, walking through the streets with the dress?
16. Alma, the effect of Reynold’s attention to her, falling in love, yet her irritating him? Cyril and the mixture of friendship and disdain? Alma and her uncertainties?
17. The mushrooms, the advice of the cook, going out into the woods, selecting them? Knowing what was poisonous? Her wanting to have a dinner for Reynolds, Cyril warning her against it? Her dressing, serving, his detailed hostile reaction about the asparagus? Alma and the poison, giving him the dish? His being sick, going to bed, calling the doctor, Reynolds ousting the doctor? Reynolds and his recovery?
18. Reynolds, seeing Alma differently, his proposal, her acceptance? The marriage ceremony, the honeymoon? Yet his needing time and space, and the little irritations that irked him?
19. New Year’s Eve, his wanting to stay home, Alma wanting to go out, dressing, wanting to dance? The elaborate party, the invitation from the doctor? Reynolds going out, observing, the countdown to the New Year, the costumes, singing and dancing, noise, Alma moving through the crowd, Reynolds going down to rescue her?
20. Reynolds, the exaggerations, confused, Alma poisoning him again, covering her behaviour? His recovery? The effect of the illnesses on him, humanising him?
21. Love, Reynolds changing, Alma and her love, her power?
22. The title in the retrospect of the whole film?
