Phantom Thread
A few years after WWII fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), a man who is loved and feared by many in the industry takes a profound interest in a waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps). Alma becomes Reynolds lover, muse, and eventually wife, and, aside from his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville), she appears to be one of the only women who really understands and can possibly tame him. A tangled mess of neurosis, hubris, and arrogance, with a dash of food poisoning to bring a couple together, but can it also tear things apart?
Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, this uneasy examination of a wildly passionate artist being matched by an equally talented spark serves as the carrier to what is being touted as Daniel Day-Lewis’s final performance; a performance that is not necessarily his most dynamic but perhaps his most controlled and metered performance, with great power comes great control. Larger than Day-Lewis though it’s Krieps delicate, detailed, and inspired performance that truly shines. Paired with scoring from Johnny Greenwood that melds liquid piano flavors and costume design by Mark Bridges that weaves fine threads into finer gowns Phantom Thread stands as a definite art piece which may thematically prove hard for conventional audiences; but, for the cinephiles, more satisfying. Worthy of your cinema dollar, Phantom Thread is rated R.