Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson tackles serious themes, unlike most American filmmakers. He's more like a European auteur, which seems odd given that he was born in Studio City, California. Despite his professional stature, he continues to do shorts. His work is always interesting and challenging, which is the case with
Phantom Thread (2017), which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix. Set in Europe in the '50's, it is the story of a fastidious, soft-spoken dressmaker frequently haunted by memories of his dead mother. Single, obsessed with his craft, women pass through his life. His sister, also single, is his business partner, almost a mirror image of him. Needing a break from post-success doldrums, he travels to the country, where he meets a waitress who interests him. She goes to work for him and they become lovers. She is frustrated by his aloofness and fussiness. Finally, she hits on a novel way that may reach into his personal cocoon. This is an intense character study. The pace during its two-plus hour running time is measured, requiring patience. The brother and sister are not likable but very interesting, expertly played by the great Daniel Day Lewis and Lesley Manville, both nominated for an Oscar. Manville has a phenomenal career as a supporting player in progress, and is comfortable on the big or small screen. Luxembourg's Vicky Krieps is wonderful as the waitress. Although she has extensive credits, it was my first encounter with her talent. This is one of those works that is respected more than liked. Is it pretentious? I bet the average movie-goer would think so? Is there a Freudian theme at the bottom of it? I'm not sure. I think the title refers to that which binds human beings, which is often mysterious. There is an element in the narrative I didn't get - the fear of being cursed, as the entrepreneur is anything but, although it is not out of the ordinary that even the wildly successful suffer such anxiety. This in not commercial, feel-good cinema. To my surprise, the film was profitable, bringing in $44 million on a budget of $35 million. I was also surprised by its rating at IMDb, where 74,000+ users have forged to a consensus of 7.4 on a scale of ten. It's encouraging to know that Anderson is appreciated by more than his peers. He doesn't play it safe or compromise. Here are the leads in character:
My thanks to Bill Brown, author of
Words and Guitar: A History of Lou Reed's Music, who bought Paddy Chayefsky's
Altered States and Michael Crichton's
Airframe; and to the young couple who purchased
Civil War in Pictures by Fletcher Pratt... I've received a higher volume of clicks than usual on the stories I've posted at fictionaut.com, and two of my books at Amazon have attracted reads of 150 & 25 pages. My thanks to those kind folks who took the time to take a look... I had a one-hour visit from Lou, who is blessed with the gift of gab. He said one of the potential jurors at the trial of El Chapo asked for the drug lord's autograph. Either he's a grade one goofball, or he hit on the perfect scheme to get himself dismissed. If the latter, mega-kudos.
No comments:
Post a Comment