Paul Thomas Anderson began directing in the 1990s with his debut film Hard Eight. Since then he’s released a film every one to several years, each distinctly different in tone, atmosphere, and genre. I love Anderson’s work from the 90s, and I love his work from the 2000s. The 2010s, however, have only been adequate. I’m not certain what exactly happened, but his work during this decade dropped in quality—still good films, but far from what they use to be. Interestingly, all of Anderson’s films from the decade—2012’s The Master and 2014’s Inherent Vice—starred Joaquin Phoenix and were the only ones to do so (could Phoenix have been a possible bad luck charm?). Yet Phoenix is nowhere to be found in Anderson’s latest feature Phantom Thread—instead replaced by Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role, whom Anderson previously worked with in his masterpiece There Will Be Blood. Phantom Thread is certainly Anderson’s best work since There Will Be Blood (further adding fuel to my Joaquin Phoenix being a bad luck charm theory), and while the film is not on the level of Anderson’s 90s-2000s work, it certainly is a step in the right direction.
Phantom Thread’s weakest aspect is its predictable first half. It’s easy to see where the plot is going early on and the film keeps to such straightforward path for a good while without any twists or turns. During such period, the film is trite and somewhat frustrating to sit through—its main redeeming quality being the beautiful cinematography. The story is shaken out of its monotony, however, when a heated argument and unexpectedly delicious action made by one of the characters spices up the clockwork routine. Phantom Thread’s second half is where the story quickly gains traction as the characters and plot become very intriguing, making the film’s comedic, dramatic and romantic moments a lot more impactful.
Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a great performance here, though such was expected since its Daniel Day-Lewis. His character Reynolds Woodcock is a very egotistical, self-centered man obsessed with his work. Woodcock requires very precise settings during his daily routine to function, with the slightest hiccup capable of disrupting his artistic flow and ruining the entire day. I see a lot of myself in Woodcock, or more exactly, a lot of my undesirable traits—making him an uncomfortable, yet effectively relatable character (I just hope my wife never has to resort to what Woodcock’s wife does to gain my attention). Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville, likewise, deliver strong, engaging (in the second half) performances as Woodcock’s love interest and sister respectively.
Phantom Thread ends up being an unusual romance, but an effective one thanks to the direction it eventually takes. The film is Anderson’s most differentiating work when compared to his previous films. There is no violence, no threatening conflicts, and nothing overtly sexual. It is an elegant historical piece that could have possibly gotten away with a PG rating if not for one tasteful nude scene and a persistent usage of the F-word. Paul Thomas Anderson is certainly a man who never does the same story twice, and with Phantom Thread, he has also gotten one step closer to regaining his masterful artistic touch.