What it's about:
I, Tonya is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater, Tonya Harding, and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history. Though Harding was the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition, her legacy was forever defined by her association with an infamous, ill-conceived, and even more poorly executed attack on fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan.
What we thought:
I was way too young to be bothered by the Tonya Harding drama back in 1994.
I might have once watched a made-for-television movie about the incident, but didn’t really pay too much attention.
My view of Tonya was always skewed towards the negative, formed mostly by public opinion. I never considered a different side to the story. Until now.
I, Tonya, directed by Craig Gillespie, not only gives a completely different perspective but also dazzles with its wicked dark humour.
With its mockumentary style approach it obliterates the fourth wall and transforms a story that has been told before into a surprisingly entertaining cinematic experience.
Often films based on real-life people or events get a bit boring and stuck in the past. But fortunately everything about I, Tonya feels fresh and modern even though it’s set in the 90s - from the editing to the grading of the film.
With powerful performances by both Margot Robbie in the titular role and Allison Janney as LaVona Golden, this biographical film, written by Steven Rogers, deserves its five stars with ease.
Robbie’s “no fucks given” approach to the character effortlessly compliments Janney’s cold-hearted take on LaVona.
It’s a pleasure to watch the two of them really bite their teeth into these characters that almost seem like they could only exist through the pen of a comic writer with a twisted sense of humour.
This Oscar-worthy flick is razor sharp, edgy and exciting to watching. If I, Tonya was a triple axel jump it would have nailed the landing, no doubt about it.