Phantom Thread

What it's about:

Set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutantes and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love.

What we thought:

I’m a massive fan of film director Paul Thomas Anderson. And when he directs Daniel Day-Lewis, it all seems to work together so magically. 

This is Daniel Day-Lewis’s final film before retiring and his performance was as eloquent as ever. 

Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a man that’s used to being catered to. His every need taken care of by the women in his life. His sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville) is eerily protective of him, and is the one in charge of seamlessly running his world. She even breaks up with women for him. 

His routine is so effortlessly smooth that even the slightest bums upset his process. But as a renowned dressmaker who is at the centre of British fashion, he always needs a new muse. 

Then he meets Alma (Vicky Krieps) who is not like all the others. More than a fleeting romance, she penetrates his world, at first slowly snuggling her way in, adapting to his unyielding set of rules. Yet she is not one to be made feel unwelcome, and sets her own boundaries for this relationship. 

The film shows us the intimate workings of a tumultuous relationship that sometimes seems too twisted to comprehend why either party chooses to stay within it. It also cleverly gives us insight into the extremes people will go to, to keep a partner; even as far as playing god with their lives.

It is an excellent, excellent film that gripped me, excited me and made me think about the definition of love. It has a million ways, it has no rules. One does not simply love in a particular way. Only the chemistry between those within a relationship can play at making it work. It is inexplicable.