Phantom Thread is as immer-
sive as cinema gets. From its
opening sequence, which takes
us inside the House of Wood-
cock, a London fashion house
run in quietly tyrannical fashion
by renowned dressmaker Reyn-
olds Woodcock (Daniel Day
Lewis), Anderson’s film dismisses
any thoughts we might have of
our own world of 2018. As we
witness Reynolds go about his
daily grooming routine it be-
comes clear we’re watching a
movie about a perfectionist, one
made by a perfectionist, and
starring a perfectionist in what is
reputedly his final acting role.
Set in his ways like a tree set in
concrete, Reynolds knows what
he likes, and he likes what he
knows (the film is set at a time
when no man was more attrac-
tive than one who made things;
and if those things happened to
make women feel beautiful, like
Reynolds’ gowns, all the better).
As such, his relationships with
the many admiring members of
the opposite sex rarely get past
Watch the trailer for Phantom Thread
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 43
INDEX
NEXT ARTICLE
33