Phantom Thread

it is ridiculous how poisonously & intoxicatingly sweet this film is. mild spoilers * * * * * it has been some time since i had seen this and I could recall all the glamour that this film offers from its visual nature, performances, commentary on obsession & control, commentary on the dual identities that anyone in the arts experience, toxic masculinity, and how complex the journey of relationships are between highly creative people and their S/O trying to unveil their vulnerabilities. something that i thought about more this time around was the essence of the title and why it drives the narrative so hard. because our story revolves around a highly regarded fashion designer and one of his main character traits as a designer is that he hides things in the linings of garments that only he knows is there, i thought of how Reynolds has sewn messages & ideas into his mind & heart that he shields from everyone else. he lets his vulnerability shine through his work but chooses to shadow it because he fears that it will deter him from his main goal of making beautiful garments. in the physical sense, the dresses that he make are the vehicle for his creative genius, but the hidden messages in each dress are the passenger for his vulnerability that he chooses to acknowledge but not show. the title also drives the relationship between Alma & Reynolds because Reynolds has shown how lovable and personable he can be towards Alma, but chooses not to show it all the time. He sewed this idea into Alma's head so she knows it's there but decides to shield his affection towards her because he's scared of how these vulnerable emotions can affect his real work and this persona he's put on for those around him. as always i have more words to describe this but they shall be saved for another time I AM SO READY FOR ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER NEXT WEEK let's see how many of PTA's i can watch/rewatch in time for next week