Phantom Thread (4/5 Stars)

Paul Thomas Anderson has my vote for the world’s most enigmatic writer-director. If I were to define his career into a type, most likely his next movie would prove me wrong. This is his filmography: “Hard Eight”, “Boogie Nights”, “Magnolia”, “Punch-Drunk Love”, “There Will Be Blood”, “The Master”, “Inherent Vice”, and now “Phantom Thread”. One used to be able to define him by locale. His first eight films all took place or were at least tangential to Southern California. “Phantom Thread” is about a dress-maker who lives in London, England. Its off the grid and comes back to back with “Inherent Vice” a movie that could not be more opposite in style and tone. As loose and wild as “Inherent Vice” was, “Phantom Thread” is uptight and repressed. The main character is Reynolds Woodcock, an aging dress-maker played by Daniel Day-Lewis at his most fastidious. At this rate, P.T. Anderson’s next movie might take place on the moon.

“Phantom Thread” presents an intense character study and utterly strange love story. Reynolds Woodcock is a great artist who uses the high demand and idol worship of his craft to tightly control the people in his life. In an early scene, brilliant in the efficiency of its setup, he breaks up with a significant other. She brings up during breakfast the fact that he does not pay enough attention to her. He responds that he has to deliver a dress that day and that he cannot start the day with a confrontation. She leaves and he does not seem to be bothered one bit. The line of people who want his attention are around the block outside.

Enter into his life, Alma, played by Vicky Krieps. He picks her out at a restaurant where she is a waitress because she is his favorite body type to make dresses for. Alma is a nobody next to Woodcock. Vicky Krieps could be said to be just an unknown (at least to me) opposite to Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the greatest actors in movies. At first glance, she would not seem to stand a chance in this relationship given the extraordinary level of competition for Woodcock’s affections and his intense focus on his work.

The movie is rather simple plot-wise so I will say less about it other than that Alma proves to be an especially worth adversary in the battle for Mr. Woodcock’s affections in ways that illustrate the notion that all things are fair in love and war.

The power struggle between Alma and Mr. Woodcock is surrounded by impeccable costume design. I have not the slightest notion of high fashion, but the women looked good in the dresses, that much I can say. Daniel Day-Lewis once again has the preternatural ability to convince the audience that he is and always has been this particular character. His retirement announcement is laughable given that he has only acted in six movies from 1998-2018 (Oscar nominated four times in that span, batting 0.750). I figured he was already retired and that he does acting gigs as a respite from not working. I expect we will see him once more in the 2020s just as soon as he feels like returning calls from A-List directors beggin to offer him another role of a lifetime.