Phantom Thread

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)

It's been a long, long time since I've seen a film that flows so gracefully. P.T. Anderson is an Artist, Day-Lewis displays an excruciating lightness of acting, Vicky Krieps is a tremendous acting discovery, and the music, the brilliant music, suits the film as well as Woodcock's dress suits the women. The way the story builds up and ends cynically was a feast for my senses and black-humored soul. Fantastic experience! (04/12/2018)

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)

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)

Do you know that feeling you get when you watch a movie with Daniel Day-Lewis (who has been awarded several Oscars) in his final role, you see that he is absolutely enjoying himself acting-wise but at the same time, you know that everything else in the movie is brutally average, uninteresting and absolutely pointless? You don’t? Well, watch Phantom Thread, then. (03/03/2018)