Phantom Thread, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, 2h 10min
A fashion designer who both revers and fears his mother may not be that novel, but when Daniel Day-Lewis plays the designer, we are in for something exciting and new.
Brilliant, but emotionally fragile, Reynolds Woodcock (Lewis) retreats to the countryside after one of his shows is received less than enthusiastically. There he is attracted to a pretty, but plain young waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps), whose unassuming naïveté charms him. Reynolds takes her back to London to be his muse.
The first warning sign for Alma is when Woodcock’s sister Cyril (the very talented Lesley Manville), who he refers to as "So and So," accompanies them on their first date. She is scary, calm and threatening, carrying out his dirty work, including dispatching girl friends that he wants to “get rid of.”
Alma tries to accommodate his violent mood swings. Even something as small as forgetting the right garnish for his tea will set him off. We also see him in isolation, communing with his long dead mother, who he is still trying to please, eager for her domineering presence.
The plot keeps you riveted as you try to figure out what will happen to Alma. Woodcock is loving one minute and indescribably cruel the next. Will she stay, will she be summarily dismissed by So and So or will Woodcock snap and hurt or even kill her? Alma is clearly afraid of him and starts to take an unusual interest in the mushrooms that grow in the forest behind his country house.
At points the suspense is excruciating as the confrontations grow more and more tense. The orchestral music alternating with a solo piano and a strings section veers expertly from calming to ominous. The struggle is a battle for control, but you’re not sure who is trying to control whom.
In what has been announced as his last role, Lewis with his immersive technique brilliantly handles the many outlandish aspects of Reynolds Woodcock. Maybe because he has shunned celebrity, Lewis has not received the credit he is due as one of the great actors of this or any other time.
There are not many movies produced these days that are essentially character studies, which have limited appeal, but Lewis and writer/director Anderson transcend the genre. Phantom Thread is expertly made and will keep you guessing, start to finish.
Grade: B+
Molly’s Game, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, 2h 20min
And then there are daddy issues. Molly was a champion skier, who had been pushed ruthlessly from an early age by her father (Kevin Costner). As a result she picks needless fights with him, and their relationship deteriorates.
Then comes her disastrous fall at the Olympic trials. With her skiing career over, she soon leaves home and gets a job as a cocktail waitress. “To be a kid,” as she puts it.
She meets a guy at the club who gives her a job as his assistant, but she soon graduates to being the hostess at his weekly, high-stakes poker game. From there it becomes a wild ride as Molly (Jessica Chastain) scales the heights of this dangerous, but very lucrative profession.
Besides the money she makes from tips and a percentage of the bets, she also profits from investment ideas she picks up from the chatter at the poker table. Soon she is very wealthy, but, of course, there are downsides. She increasingly depends on drugs to keep up with the pace of the all-night games. Then there is her financial exposure as she becomes a bank to some of the players. When she gets overextended, the Russian mob takes over her game.
While there are psychological aspects to this film, they are more of a framework than a plot driver. Molly’s Game is undoubtedly a thriller, but it’s rollicking rather than pensive. Nothing heavy here, just lots of fun as we see our heroine get in and out of her many jams, pursued by all the many peculiar characters in the exotic demi-monde of this shadow world.
And as you might expect from a film by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing), the dialogue is quick and engaging, especially the sparing between Molly and her lawyer (Idris Elba, best known for the long running Luther). The ongoing battle of wits is just as impressive as the great pace and energy of the plot. For once a movie of this length doesn’t seem too long.
Chastain, a tiny, tightly-wrapped bundle of energy, is perfect for this role, bringing a natural determination and wit to her character. Elba is a great foil and believable as the exasperated corporate lawyer she enlists to defend her. Costner’s role is not much more than a cameo. You’re not exactly surprised when he reenters her life, maybe the movie’s only weak point.
Nothing to learn or ponder here - I think we already know the dangers of alcohol, drugs and gambling! - just an enjoyable, escapist two hours plus at the movies. Don’t miss it!
Grade: A-
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