Phantom Thread (2017)

What is my favorite DDL movie? Hmm. I feel like DDL is that type of actor where I watch shit more for him & don't care necessarily about the film surrounding him. If I like the actual movie, that's a bonus, but I'm here for performance. I think my number one actor for this is Montgomery Clift. I like, maybe...one Monty Clift movie. Lol, no, but most of his movies I don't even like. One movie, A Place in the Sun, I've seen a million times. Don't really like it. But Monty, though. Monty, tho.

Is it bad I am talking about shit completely irrelevant to Phantom Thread lol? I was just saying that...I love DDL. And lowkey insulting this very movie in the process of me doing so lol. I'm just saying! That! There are certain actors that I watch just to see them act, and I do not care where they do that at. If I do care about what the fuck they're acting in, it is a bonussssss. It's just some nice extra thing to have, on top of the amazing performance, that I came for :)

Now, DDL aint no Monty Clift. Loljk, they're both pretty good. I think I prefer Monty tho because he was like way more pretentious and tortured. That's what I need from my acting baes. I feel like DDL indulges in #selfcare too much lol. I don't even get pretentious vibes from him. I mean, not the kind I like. The Monty Clift kind that's all about being obsessed with perfection, which stems from being tortured (there's that word again) and, frankly, insane. I'm sure DDL is a nut, but he's like sixty and hasn't died from an OD or killing himself, so he is probably fine enough. He is nowhere near as tortured as I need my ultimate pretentious acting baes to be. So I will never compare him to the goddess Monty Clift ever again. It was very wrong of me, and I'm sorry. 

Anyway, can you tell I barely connected to Phantom Thread and have no real interest in discussing it????? Noooo, this is likely a movie that I will have to watch multiple times to *click* with it. I don't mind a movie like that. Some of my favorite movies came to be my faves through that process. Some shit you don't know right away. But once you get it on like...the fifth try you're like, YES! It feels good. Lol. I don't know what my life is, but here...here is my primary issue with Phantom Thread. It is a technically "good" movie. That's all well and good. But that's just me trying to be objective (not super bitchy). Now subjective time (full bitch). 

This is a romance film, I suppose. It's not one...I like lol. The romantic aspect...was not done well enough for me. I actually LOVE fucked up relationships in movies. Pretty much all my fave romantic films deal in, at the very least, extreme emotional abuse lol. I love it. No shame in my game. Have no interest in regular meet cute type shit and never will. The more deranged the better. The relationship set up in this film was okay. I wasn't feeling the actress Vicky Krieps as the love interest. This is no comment on her skills, I just didn't connect to her. And idk if DDL did either. I could be wrong. I would have preferred a more electric connection for this type of story, and I legit was not getting it. Because of that, I was shipping Reynolds and his sister. That would have been a more interesting weird ass relationship to focus on. I get why Paul Thomas Andy told the story in this way. Like, I can see the machinations it took to get to the decision, I'm just...not a fan of the execution. And that's it pretty much. This is the type of movie I watch and wish I could've...done on my own. Mind you, I am not even a fucking filmmaker and have no idea how shit works lol. But you ever just consume some type of art, whatever medium, and you're just like, sure you can improve it? And it's usually some shit you want to like. So it's not coming from a place of ego, but like frustration. You're pining away for this non-existent better movie. It's a terrible mental space to inhabit. Because you are not getting that movie. At least, not from that director, with their story and actors.  

But I'll watch it again. If not solely to watch DDL's ~final performance~ (sure, sis). Maybe I'll come around. I did say this seemed like that type of movie you have to watch a million times before it clicks. It might click. Maybe. I am afraid not, though, maybe? I mean, not in the way I want. I was already in the space of reworking the film while watching and it's going to be hard to come out of that. This shoulda been a brother/sister incest film. We need more of those. This could've been one of them. Ya blew it.

Speaking of my queen Lesley Manville who should've been nominated for an Oscie back for Another Year, I am so happy PTA put her in this and she finally got recognized. It was getting annoying that she kept not being???? That's one good thing to come from this movie. Was this a better performance than Another Year which she should've been nominated for? Hell no. But she still deserves a nom just for being old. And also a really good actress lol. So I'm happy Phantom Thread exists so they could finally give some claps to your girl.

Did I love DDL here? Yeah, he's DDL. I'd watch his ass take a shit. Was this my fave performance? Now that he's dead (to me), I want to start evaluating what my fave performance of his is. Imma have to rewatch some shit. Including this. I def feel, even though I don't necessarily connect to the story...I feel I will appreciate this specific performance more and more with repeat watches. Hopefully that'll cross over into the story and I can find a place for it in my heart lol. Like I can totally see...noticing small stuff.. The small stuff always adds to the story. Especially to an intimate story like this. So, yeah, I see it. And now I'm getting excited and it's making me like the movie more. Or the potential...the movie's potential lol.

But yo, what type of mushrooms was those ol' girl was using to poison her bae with, and where you find them at??? Asking for a friend!!!