Phantom Thread

[Gonzo]

New PTA film out on Christmas Day in the US (Feb 2018 in the UK):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5776858/

Any PTA fans here? I'm quite excited to go see this.

[Gonzo]

I was way too pleased with myself when I recognised Robin Hood's Bay in the trailer. It turns out they were filming in Lythe as well, which is just outside of Whitby.

[phantom_power]

Five stars in the Guardian today. The review suggests it is a classic PTA psychodrama with Day-Lewis on top form, a performance fit to bow out on

[Small Man Big Horse]

I liked his early, funny films (Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love) but I can't say I've been a fan of his recent work. Though I never did get around to Inherent Vice in the end, is it worth checking out?

[phantom_power]

I think all of his films are worth watching once. I think Inherent Vice is his least good film to date, but it is still beautiful to look at with some excellent performances. I just find it a bit too shaggy for its own good and I was left wondering what the point was. I am prepared to believe that is more my fault than that of the film though

[amoral]

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=63213.0

[Povidone]

I really enjoyed Inherent Vice although I generally enjoy slacker films with threadbare narratives so your mileage may vary.

[Blinder Data]

I think all of his films are worth watching once. I think Inherent Vice is his least good film to date, but it is still beautiful to look at with some excellent performances. I just find it a bit too shaggy for its own good and I was left wondering what the point was. I am prepared to believe that is more my fault than that of the film though

I can see how you might think that but then I've had that feeling twice now, with The Master and Inherent Vice. Just left with a vague feeling of confusion and dissatisfaction. It's a sort of inverse snobbery to think we're not clever enough to enjoy them properly.

His last two films looked great and had great performances and brilliant/funny moments but I needed something more coherent/solid to get involved. I loved There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, PDL because it felt like there was a point to them.

Hopefully this one's a gut-puncher emotionally, as I'm not getting the impression the plot will be substantial.

[Namtab]

Just needed to express this PTA thought somewhere and this seemed close enough - isn't the soundtrack to Punch Drunk Love fantastic? Flat out one of my favourite scores - it can go from odd soundscapes to just plain lovely melody, and without ever veering too much on the side of saccharine. Love it.

[zomgmouse]

This was very good but I wasn't bowled over. Looked very good if not overlit, very good acting, music, costumes, etc. Some rather touching moments but on the whole I can't say I was hugely affected. The ending is a little weak and also could have ended about five times. But it was very good.

Good day for Chris Morris alumni as both Gina McKee and Julia Davis have small roles.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Just seen this. To mirror largely what mouse said... It was very well done for what it was, but I don't think it was for me. Daniel Day-Lewis just playing an awkward cunt.

I enjoyed the bit where his po-faced pa told him 'don't bring it' and it was kind of weird seeing Julia Davis in a serious role

[Monsieur Verdoux]

This was very good but I wasn't bowled over. Looked very good if not overlit, very good acting, music, costumes, etc. Some rather touching moments but on the whole I can't say I was hugely affected. The ending is a little weak and also could have ended about five times. But it was very good.

Just saw this and I pretty much entirely feel the same way. It was very very good but I still feel mildly disappointed. It felt like one of those films where a great director simultaneously displays their evidently vast talent while also treading water a little bit. A lot of the themes it deals with feel like they've been worked over already.

[Wet Blanket]

I found it a little too affected and insincere, but beautiful to look at. I think PTA is the sort of director a bit too clever for the melodramatic subjects he's attracted to. This was Douglas Sirk by way of Stanley Kubrick. Lots of people disliked Inherent Vice but that really worked for me because the irony was built in to the source material.

[zomgmouse]

This was Douglas Sirk by way of Stanley Kubrick.

It felt like someone trying to do a Mike Leigh period film and a Nicolas Roeg film at the same time.

[Enrico Palazzo]

I thought it was his best since There Will Be Blood.

[Z]

This was Douglas Sirk by way of Stanley Kubrick.

Jesus, that's an incredibly biting criticism; to me, at least.

Seeing this tomorrow, in 70mm (which honestly seems pointless to me, but anyways, I'm an idiot). I'm kind of expecting something in between earlier David Lean and a Todd Haynes period piece.

[Z]

I think PTA is the sort of director a bit too clever for the melodramatic subjects he's attracted to.

So I really enjoyed this but would ultimately agree with the above, the ending was very weak. Wanting to be Sirk/Lean but, in some ways, coming closer to Peter Strickland. Do not get why he used the interview narrative device at all.
Some extremely funny dialogue and Leslie Mansfield absolutely steals the show.

Soundtrack is absolutely stuffed with would-be radiohead tunes imo, probably a very good album thrown away in there.

[Mister Six]

Do not get why he used the interview narrative device at all.

Me neither. The only thing I can think of is that he wanted to get over the "he's weak after finishing a piece, and she likes him when he's vulnerable" but without showing it through repetition.

And maybe adding a bit of "has she been rumbled? Is this a police interview?" tension around the mid-point.

[marquis_de_sad]

And maybe adding a bit of "has she been rumbled? Is this a police interview?" tension around the mid-point.

Yes, I think that's the main reason he did it. It added very little otherwise and rather undercut one of the best scenes (where DDL first fits her for a dress in the attic).

[Z]

Me neither. The only thing I can think of is that he wanted to get over the "he's weak after finishing a piece, and she likes him when he's vulnerable" but without showing it through repetition.

And maybe adding a bit of "has she been rumbled? Is this a police interview?" tension around the mid-point.

Doesn't it reveal she's talking to the doctor?

I guess it's still supposed to provide tension but it kind of seemed more like he was just deliberately doing what has become an unpopular framing device to show it has merit

[marquis_de_sad]

Doesn't it reveal she's talking to the doctor?

Yes, it does, but it seems like it could be a police interview before that's revealed. And the reveal feels meaningless.

[Glebe]

Saw it earlier this week, it's actually the first Paul Thomas Anderson film I've seen since There Will Be Blood (and I call myself a film fan...), thought it was quite effective for the most part, beautifully shot and some fine performances, had that familiar kind of unsettling, uneasy atmosphere that PTA created in TWBB, and I also found it surprisingly moving in parts. My problem with it is the ending, which (as has been previously opined) I found a bit weak... I dunno, maybe I wanted a bit more drama to finish on. And yeah, the jumps forward to the doctor chat where pretty unnecessary. Nice to see Gina McKee and Julia Davis in a PTA film, btw. Oh yeah, and was watching Mike Leigh's Secrets and Lies on Film4 the other night, Lesley Manville pops up in that.

[marquis_de_sad]

I just listened to PTA's interview on Adam Buxton's podcast. He said he told Johnny Greenwood to, "Be romantic, be lush, be big," which supports the idea he was going for something Sirkian.

Actually listening to that interview made me feel like I was missing the point a bit, especially when PTA was talking about pissing himself laughing on set. Dunno.

[Z]

I just listened to PTA's interview on Adam Buxton's podcast. He said he told Johnny Greenwood to, "Be romantic, be lush, be big," which supports the idea he was going for something Sirkian.

Actually listening to that interview made me feel like I was missing the point a bit, especially when PTA was talking about pissing himself laughing on set. Dunno.

There's some very funny bits imo

Two favourites were:
"The tea is leaving, but the interruption is staying right here with me."
"As I think you know, Alma, I prefer my asparagus with oil and salt. Knowing this, you have prepared the asparagus with butter. Right now I'm just admiring my own gallantry for eating it the way you've prepared it."

Can imagine the big bleak fucker of a wedding could've been a lot of fun for him to put together too.

[Glebe]

Yeah, actually, it was very funny in places too.

[marquis_de_sad]

Yeah those little moments definitely were funny, but I found his insane breakfast creepy. I assumed it was supposed to be quirkily charming. PTA says he was laughing his head off during that scene, however.

[Monsieur Verdoux]

I've also heard PTA say that The Master is supposed to absolutely hilarious so I don't know what to think.

[zomgmouse]

Yeah those little moments definitely were funny, but I found his insane breakfast creepy. I assumed it was supposed to be quirkily charming. PTA says he was laughing his head off during that scene, however.

When I saw it it seemed like people were laughing at the noise she was making which was jarring to me as I thought the whole point was that he was a fuck not that she was annoying.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Supposed to be a bit of both innit? Like when someone slurps their tea but you'd be the arsehole if you pulled them up on it out of the blue.

[Z]

When I saw it it seemed like people were laughing at the noise she was making which was jarring to me as I thought the whole point was that he was a fuck not that she was annoying.

Laughing at his hypersensitive reaction to her noise, no? The audio is edited to make her noise quite unrealistically loud so i took it as to be coming from his perspective.


All of his films are pretty funny to some extent, I think for him he's probably marvelling at how good of a job the actors do with his lines though. it's gotta be quite a kick to write something you think is amusing only to see your actors make it far more effective than you envisioned.