Phantom Thread
4 stars
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville
Duration: 130 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

A few months ago, Variety magazine broke the news that actor Daniel Day-Lewis has decided to retire from acting. Fans and filmmakers alike were saddened when the actor’s spokeswoman released an official statement confirming the news

Since his film debut in 1971, Day-Lewis has tackled a diverse inventory of acclaimed roles. And, whatever the role and film, and whoever the director, he always immersed himself in the character with depth, complexity, grace and commitment. And Reynolds Woodcock in Phantom Thread, ostensibly the actor’s last film, is no different.

Phantom Thread is set in the hustle and bustle of 1950s London. Reynolds and his sister Cyril (Leslie Manville) run the House of Woodcock, dress designers much feted in the British fashion world, with members of the Royal family, entertainment figures and socialites among their elite clientele. Dedicated fully to his work and uninterested in committed relationships, the unexpected encounter with Alma (Vicky Krieps), a shy, soft-spoken waitress, changes his life forever.

Phantom Thread is a beautifully-woven character study and love story, with a touch of the gothic sewn in. Reynolds, immediately smitten by Alma, takes her out to dinner and afterwards seduces her – in a powerful, yet understated, sensual scene –  by sewing a dress on her. He takes the young woman under his wing and moves her to his beautiful London home – to the bemusement of Cyril – where she becomes his model, muse and lover.

It is not long before their relationship evolves into a rather volatile affair. Alma discovers that the calm, charming, creative genius is also a petty, petulant child and somewhat a bully. He has obsessive rules and regulations about the running of his household and business, and woe betide those who interfere with his routine.

The measured pace only allows us to savour the story and its sublime characters

And yet, Alma is no wallflower, taking his behaviour in her stride, even daring to comment that she thinks “he is too fussy”, much to Cyril’s horror. Things come to a head when he accuses her of ambushing him when she organi­ses a surprise romantic dinner.

Alma takes drastic measures to cement the relationship – a move which takes the relationship into very dark territory, and which I was initially rather sceptical about. Yet, I have been mulling over it rather obsessively since…

Like the myriad characters Day-Lewis has brought to life, he immerses himself completely into the obsessive, paranoid Reynolds. It is a profound experience to watch the gamut of emotions – the compulsive behaviour, the stickler for routine, the quiet moments that erupt in a flash in a temper tantrum, the reverence with which he reminisces about his late mother, the veneration towards his clients as he strives to create the perfect dress for them, and the unbridled love for his creations.

In one of the film’s humorous moments (and there are many) he and Alma repossess a dress they feel its owner does not deserve. And then there are the little unforgettable details which augment his performance – like the furrowed concentration as he sketches his designs and the deftness of his sore fingers as he sews mystery objects in the lining of his garments.

Reynolds is beautiful and beastly in equal measure, and Day-Lewis’s nuanced and heartfelt portrayal is a tremendous valediction. Physically a cross between Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore – and based on her performance here, likely to follow their career paths – newcomer Krieps more than holds her own opposite her celebrated co-star.

Her wide-eyed innocence and unaffected prettiness belies her steely interior, as Alma stands up to Reynolds every step of the way. She is convinced of his love for her, yet determined not to succumb to his obnoxious and selfish behaviour. She gives as good as she gets, and her path from clumsy, shy, working-class waitress, to a woman who takes control of a man who has never been controlled, is travelled with the consummate ease of a veteran.

Lesley Manville rounds up the main cast with a superb turn as the haughty, immoveable Cyril. Sister, best friend, confidante and mother figure to the capricious Reynolds she looks on askance at the arrival of this new woman in his life but deals with it with the grace that accompanies her every move.

Visually, Phantom Thread is an extraordinarily beautiful film. Languidly shot, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson takes his time letting the fabric of his story unfold, and the film suffers not a jot for it.

The measured pace not only allows us to savour the story and its sublime characters, but also take in its superb production values. Jonny Greenwood’s lush score is a dream, Mark Tildesley’s production design superbly captures the glamour of the Woodcock’s house and environs, and naturally, Mark Bridges’ elegant and vivid costume designs are an integral part of the film which fashionistas of all stripes will savour.

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