Phantom Thread

The aesthetics and thoroughness are so phenomenal that I only regret the amount of space Reynolds' ego receives in the story. If his repetitive manners and utmost despotism were replaced by the richer background of Alma or Cyril, this deliberately unpaced, original, and falsely dramatized display of audiovisual beauty would perhaps have reached even the unattainable. (01/31/2018)

The film was mind-numbingly boring. The already slow pace of the story was slowed down even more by long shots without any action, in which the highlight was a creaking door. Given such circumstances, the running time was simply too much to bear. The only thing I appreciated about the film was Daniel Day-Lewis' performance and great costumes. (09/12/2018)

Phantom Thread is a prime example of a film with obvious Oscar ambitions, which it manages to pull off thanks to convincing performances (Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville) and a solid premise. However, despite these quality attributes, what bothered me personally about the film was its overly plodding pace and the absence of the more tense scenes that the script literally invited. In terms of acting, I liked the dinner for two and the delirium in illness scenes. I'm aware that I witnessed an acting tour-de-force and a well-written piece, but I was not captivated and intrigued by its tones enough to go higher with my rating. (04/09/2020)

Are you really all fine with the ending that almost made me knock a star off my rating? Such a detailed and focused, professionally cold and intelligent study of the relationship between two people – one from the farthest corner of Mars and the other from the farthest part of Venus – with such brilliantly escalating tension and a creeping threat of tragedy... coming to such inadequately banal nothingness that, in terms of the script, does not resolve anything? Yes, that’s what would probably happen in real life, but I expect something more from P.T. Anderson’s movie. All three actors are wonderful and the constant use of Greenwood’s music with a touch of classicism is interesting, helping to set the movie in its period and harmonizing with the distinguished character of Woodcock’s robes. (03/04/2018)

This is what Basic Instinct could have looked like in the sixties. Lots of dark thoughts and inner motivations wrapped up in the irresistibly aristocratic style of the mid-twentieth century British bourgeoisie. A clash of two completely different personalities, a duel of two strong characters, a battle of an outwardly powerful man vs an inwardly even more powerful woman. There's no point in addressing the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson is a master of emotions, Daniel Day-Lewis plays "the grand finale" and Vicky Krieps doesn't act but just "is". Is there any point in addressing why this strong melodrama, heading towards a crushing finale, suddenly turns towards black-humour in the very end? That is such a shame! If that doesn't bother you, you’ll have a five-star experience. (04/02/2018)