Phantom Thread (2017)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Watched: 12/8/20
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Provocative Psychological Fodder”
Welcome to Woodcock-
there’s much more than meets the eye
in this fashion house.
Brilliant directing;
acting, camera, music-
all choreographed!
Daniel Craig’s swan song-
loaded character study,
finessed performance.
Eerie mama’s boy
meets hard-headed seductress
in perverse romance.
Moodily claustrophobic,
Cold and pretentious- but art!
Further Reading: https://www.elitedaily.com/p/is-phantom-thread-based-on-a-true-story-the-oscar-nom-has-fans-wondering-8303039;
https://www.mindingtherapy.com/phantom-thread-psych-viewpoints
Title Meaning: NPR has claimed, “refers to a Victorian Era phenomenon in which East London seamstresses, utterly exhausted by a long day’s work, continue to go through the motions at home, sewing threads that do not exist.” Another option is that it could be in reference to Reynold’s practice of sewing “anything” into the linings of th e dresses he makes in his fashion house. He sewed a picture of his mother into the linings of his coat to “keep her close”- but then takes his obsession a step further by leaving messages for his mother in the canvases of dresses he makes, unbeknownst to the wearers (written in thread, to his phantom mother; also, secretive or phantom messages hidden from general knowledge).