Phantom Thread

Part of **2024 Goals and Favorite Films** I remember when Phantom Thread came out and was surrounded by Oscar buzz, many viewers thought the film was boring and uneventful. There's typically that one film that gets nominated at the Oscars that has everyone scratching their heads and asking "How did this happen?". In 2018, that film was Phantom Thread. Because of that I went in expecting the cure for insomnia. To my surprise I was captivated by this film. Of course the acting and directing are both phenomenal. That can be expected of figures like PTA and Daniel-Day Lewis. To me, the core of this film - the element that held all other aspects together and elevated them was the score. Jonny Greenwood is a master. I knew this as I have been a big fan of Radiohead for years now, but I had no idea he worked on this film. The score is simultaneously haunting, foreboding, and beautiful. At first, I thought it was going to work in a similar way to how many people viewed the original Star Wars when it was first released: a fantastic score to make a mediocre film watchable. Thankfully, that wasn't the case at all. Greenwood's score accentuates the savagery of Reynolds, the strong will of Alma, and the hints of romance between the two throughout the film. He did an excellent job of choosing a sound the perfectly fit the time period and the elegant setting. I've seen relatively few romance films considering how many films I've watched in total. I do have an idea of what a typical romance looks like and the one found in this film is the polar opposite in the best possible way. When reading the synopsis of the film I figured they would fall in love over the course of the film. And while the category of love evolves across the runtime, they do fall in over almost immediately. At least that's what we were supposed to believe. Alma's love is truly for Reynolds' while his love is for his work. He doesn't need her the way she needs him. Reynolds is so stuck in his past and his daily routines that he thinks that's the way he's meant to be. Alma's strong nature is perfect for kicking his arrogant ego down a few notches. His longing for that familiar "mother's love" is the tool that she uses to stir up emotion in him. The characters aren't alone in communicating this change though. The cinematography works hand-in-hand with them to make the evolution more impactful and impressive. The beautiful zoom in shots that take us from the dresses to the couple make it crystal clear that Reynold's focus is changing. I'd be crazy to not mention the amazing sound design especially during the breakfast scenes. Early on we're introduced to Reynolds' wife and what a typical breakfast looks like between the two. We see things from his perspective as he's busily working, creating the next dress for a customer. She interrupts him trying to offer him food. Every little sound she makes irritates him and see him as callous for that. Later when Alma arrives and starts to become closer to him she does the same thing but to a much greater degree. The scraping of the bread on toast, chewing food, biting food off a spoon - these simple every day sounds tear Reynolds out of his comfort zone and while they make infuriate him, bring him back down to Earth. Phantom Thread is an incredible film with many masterfully assembled elements working together to create something very special. I'm watching so many fantastic films lately that I feel like I'm giving 5/5 to every other film I watch, but I can't find any flaws with this at all.