Phantom Thread is the story of Reynolds Woodcock… A celebrated European dress designer. Beyond that, it is also the story of Reynolds Woodcock and Alma Elson; A waitress he takes on as a companion and muse. This movies speaks to the entanglement between these two stories and how they ultimately come to work together.

Story: I find this story interesting. From what I’ve read, the character of Reynolds Woodcock is a combination of 1950’s fashion designers. It’s written by Paul Thomas Anderson of which I am a fan and we have a Cleveland connection. I’ll give him credit for infusing several different creative types into one character who has some very serious/specific personality quirks.

Ultimately, this story is a battle of wills. Man vs. woman… Designer vs. muse… Reynolds vs. Alma. You’ll have to see the movie to decide if he’s met his match…
And while this story is a bit annoying, it stays contained and true to itself from beginning to end… Consider the phrase, A woman scorned… as you watch this film.

His committed, but very business-like relationship with his sister is also somewhat dark and unsettling. And at no point does he ever introduce her as his sister… Hmmm…

Performances: Daniel Day-Lewis has announced that this is his last film and he will retire after. I don’t consider this going out with a bang. He delivers a fine performance, but, I’ve seen better from him. Not to mention, this character is not so likable, so…

The only other performances of note were Vicky Krieps as Alma and Lesley Manville as Reynold’s sister, Cyril, but, neither is otherwise outstanding. But Harriet Sansom Harris as the London socialite Barbara Rose does offers some fun moments of levity with her cameo.

Visual: London in the 1950’s. Since this film is about couture fashion, there are lots of pretty dresses and models to see. Everyone looks quite formal and elegant. The House of Woodcock is beautiful and the parties they attend are quite regal. Nothing more to gain from the look of this film…

Rating: I already know this film has been nominated for an Oscar and Daniel Day-Lewis for best actor. Neither works for me. The film gets a C+ from me. I could take it or leave it. I don’t feel like I learned anything new or walked away moved or affected. If it were a true story, that may have given it a bit more bite, but, it’s not.

Overall, this ends up being a dark movie about a battle of wills between two people in an elegant profession. Don’t rush to see this film. See it on DVD/Blu ray… if you have nothing else to do and are a die-hard Daniel Day-Lewis fan…