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maltatoday SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2018 38 This Week ARTISTS! Can't live with them, can't live without them. Such is the case of Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), a couturier based in the booming London of the mid-1950s. While no one can doubt his skill in his metier of choice - the House of Wood- cock counts celebrities and roy- alty as customers for a reason - one cannot also deny his be- ing, frankly, a bit of an ass, es- pecially when it comes to dealing with the women. But things are about to change when he meets Alma (Vicky Krieps), a waitress determined to ensure her gig as Woodcock's model-slash-muse- slash-lover is anything but a temporary fling... A stripped-down synopsis of Paul Thomas Anderson's eighth film might suggest the film is a self-indulgent paean to the ar- tistic life, or a mere slice of old- er man meets younger woman cliché. Thankfully, Phantom Thread fails to be anything of the sort, instead being about many other things, including fashion, the creation of said fashion, the power dynamics involved in rela- tionships and, most importantly, breakfast. Especially breakfast. The breakfast table is where Woodcock callously dumps an earlier f ling, Johanna (Camilla Rutherford), in a display of his being the kind of spoiled man- child only family, specifically his no-nonsense sister Cyril (Lesley Manville), can handle. Breakfast is also how Woodcock caught Alma's eye, following what is certainly one of the most impres- sive food orders put to celluloid (Welsh rarebit with a poached egg, bacon, scones, butter, cream, jam, a pot of Lapsang souchong, sausages). Alma also manages to impress Woodcock - not only because of her managing to remember his order, but also through her appearance, including physical aspects she detests (a too long neck, too small breasts, too wide hips). Following dinner, the relationship bet ween the t wo kicks off, with Alma mov- ing in the London square where the House of Woodcock is situ- ated, immediately learning the joys of living with the man. Or not, really - another scene involving the most important meal of the day has Woodcock f ly into a tantrum at Alma for buttering her toast all too loud- ly (admittedly the sound design is hilariously loud here, mak- ing the act of scraping a knife on bread sound like a bulldozer tearing through the kitchen). But soon enough Alma steels up, learning to not only how to butter toast more quietly and deal with Woodcock 's tempera- ment but also work how to be- come his permanent lover, if not wife. And this involves a plan that, while Woodcock seem- ingly wants no part in, is also more than willing to participate in, making for a strange dance bet ween the t wo. Phantom Thread 's initial call to fame is its having the final performance of Daniel Day- Lewis before his supposed re- tirement. While not as outright ferocious as his iconic role in There Will Be Blood, Day-Lew- is' turn as Woodcock is almost uncomfortably intense. He also makes a striking figure, all im- peccably tailored suits and ma- genta socks. However the film's protagonist is arguably Vicky Krieps' Alma, whose evolu- tion from mere pretty thing to a something far spikier and dangerous is riveting. Credit also must go to Leslie Man- ville, whose high-necked outfits and tightly coiled hairdo bring to mind Ms Danvers in Alfred Hitchcock 's Rebecca - and just as well, since there's a distinc- tively Hitchcockian touch in Anderson's direction, a com- bination of the romantic and comic mixed with horror and even the gothic, particularly as the film's structure has Alma tell the story of her relationship with Woodcock to his doctor during a particularly dark and spooky night. The film also feels somewhat personal; not in the sense that it gleans anything about An- derson's relationship with his long-time partner, actress and comedian Maya Rudolph (un- less mushroom omelettes hold significance for the two), but in its dealing with the idea of being an artist, and how fraught rela- tionships with such people can be, especially when this is used to justif y otherwise inexcusable behaviour. One also must point out how Phantom Thread takes time to point out how, like film, dressmaking is a collaborative process, even as the designer, despite being helped by a reti- nue of skilled seamstresses, is the one who takes sole credit for the final creation. Likewise, with film, and as such one has to point out the likes of editor Dylan Tichenor, costume de- signer Mark Bridges and com- poser Johnny Greenwood, with- out whose contributions the film would be ultimately much poorer. Cinema has peaked early in 2018 with Phantom Thread, a lush chamber piece of beauti- ful photography, high romance, dry humour and gothic drama. If Daniel Day-Lewis has truly retired, then he has ended his career on one hell of a high note. The result comes highly recom- mended and, as such, unmiss- able. IN CINEMAS TODAY Embassy Cinemas Valletta Tel: 21 227436, 21 245818 Black Panther 3D (12A) 10:30, 14:30, 17:30, 20:45 Fifty Shades Freed (18) 10:30, 13:55, 16:15, 18:40, 21:00 The Greatest Showman (PG) 10:25, 13:35, 15:55, 18:15, 20:45 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (12A) 16:05, 18:350 12 Strong (15) 10:25, 14:15, 18:00, 20:45 Maze Runner: The Death Cure (12A) 10:35, 14:30, 17:45, 20:45 Phantom Thread (15) 21:05 Valletta Living History (U) 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 13:00, 13:45, 14:30, 15:15 Eden Cinemas St Julian's Tel: 23 710400 12 Strong (15) 14:30, 18:00, 20:40 Black Panther 3D (12A) 11:15, 12:40, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00, 18:20, 20:00, 21:10, 23:00 Caravaggio: The Shape of Darkness (PG) 18:25 Coco (PG) 11:50, 14:05, 16:20 Den Of Thieves (15) 14:30, 17:40, 20:30, 23:20 Fifty Shades Freed (18) 13:45, 16:20, 18:50, 21:15, 23:25 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (12A) 11:30, 14:25, 18:05, 20:45 Matthew Bourne's Cinderella (PG) 20:30 Maze Runner (2D) 11:25, 14:20, 17:55, 20:50 Phantom Thread (15) 14:25, 18:05, 20:45, 23:25 The 15:17 to Paris 14:10, 16:25, 18:35, 20:55 The Greatest Showman (PG) 11:30, 14:05, 18:40, 21:00, 23:20 The Greatest Showman Sing-Along (PG) 16:00 Van Gogh: Of wheat fields and clouded skies 20:15 Winchester 14:05, 16:25, 18:35, 20:50, 23:00 Empire Cinemas Bugibba Tel: 21 581787, 21 581909 The Greatest Showman (PG) 11:05, 13:45, 16:05, 18:25, 20:45 The Commuter (15) 11:00, 13:35, 16:00, 18:25, 20:45 The Mercy (12A) 11:00, 14:00, 16:15, 18:30, 20:50 Black Panther 3D (12A) 10:45, 14:00, 18:30, 21:15 The 15:17 to Paris (15) 11:05, 13:45, 16:05, 18:30, 20:45 12 Strong (15) 10:30, 13:15, 15:55, 18:35, 21:15 Fifty Shades Freed (18) 10:45, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE ★ ★ ★ ★ PHANTOM PAIN ★ ★ ★ PHANTOM DETECTIVE ★ ★ THE PHANTOM MENACE ★ DANNY PHANTOM FILM By Teodor Reljic Tangled web of desire PHANTOM THREAD ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Love and breaking fast: Just one of the many breakfasts had by Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Alma (Vicky Krieps) in Phantom Thread, a film that's ultimately about the most important meal of the day Phantom Thread is about many other things, including fashion, the creation of said fashion, the power dynamics involved in relationships and, most importantly, breakfast. Especially breakfast