Phantom Thread
“Do you have a gun? You here to kill me?”
I’ve been cursed with watching too many great movies in a row. Phantom Thread is one of the funniest and most poignant examinations of love, relationships, and the power dynamics that they involve. Not since Pride and Prejudice (2005) have quiet remarks been this cutting. Not since Game of Thrones (the first 4 seasons) has a conversational back forth felt like a push for a throne. It’s crazy how it can feel like that and feel like watching two toddlers learn how to process life.
PTA knows how to move a camera, it’s been well documented. He also knows how to write a script. This has some of the best acting I’ve seen, and I enjoy seeing an image of love that feels raw, real, and quite hysterical. Any relationship involves a tethering, some sort of binding that can restrict and remove some of the control a person thinks they have in life. Yet that opening up, that connection with another person can provide a way to live that isn’t always on the defensive. I love how each piece of the film builds onto all of its engaging themes. I will be revisiting this.