Phantom Thread

Certainly a big improvement over Paul Thomas Anderson’s last feature, 2014’s somewhat disastrous Inherent Vice, Phantom Thread follows circa 1950s fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) as his orderly, regimented life is thrown for a loop after he meets and falls for a small-town waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps). Phantom Thread’s opening stretch doesn’t exactly inspire a whole lot of confidence, admittedly, as writer/director Anderson has infused this stretch of the proceedings with a thoroughly polished yet almost generic feel – with the movie’s various attributes, from the score to the visuals to the sets, resembling countless released-in-December prestige projects. The intensely sumptuous vibe persists throughout, undoubtedly, and yet there’s little doubt the movie improves immeasurably as it progresses, with the initial intensely-romantic meeting (and subsequent first date) between Day-Lewis and Krieps’ respective characters marking a turning point for the decidedly deliberate narrative. And although the movie never quite becomes the engrossing period piece one might’ve anticipated (and hoped for), Phantom Thread is nevertheless suffused with a whole host of components that are, on their own, nothing short of top-notch – with, in particular, Day-Lewis’ often riveting performance remaining a consistent highlight within the proceedings. The impressively subversive nature of the film’s final stretch ensures that the whole thing ends on a memorable, downright unforgettable note, to be sure, and the movie does seem as though it might benefit from repeat viewings (ie certain developments would take on more significance with the knowledge of what’s to come) – with the final result a strong effort from a once-brilliant filmmaker whose best efforts seem to be well behind him.

*** out of ****