The Film (5/5)

     I will admit I have not seen much of the work Of Paul Thomas Anderson. His early work such as Boogie Nights and Magnolia did little to interest me when they came out (admittedly I was a bit of an arrogant teenager at the time), so the only film I have seen of his was the Master, which did nothing for me. However, when I heard of Phantom Thread, and had it described as a gothic romance, and comparisons to Hitchcock's Rebecca began to be made I knew at once I had to see it.  I am quite glad I did.

    The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) as Reynolds Woodcock, a fashionable dress designer in 1950's post-war London, who is obsessed with having control of every facet of his life, from how people act at breakfast in his presence, to every detail of the clothes he creates for the rich and glamourous people that surround him.  This changes ever so slightly when he meets Alma (Vicky Krieps), a waitress at a countryside diner, who he immediately takes an interest in. He falls in love with her, or at least his version of love, takes her back to London, and projects his wishes on to her. He dresses her in his clothes, seeing her as the perfect model for them, but at the same time Alma is left feeling unfulfilled, and begins to try and find a way deeper into his life. This causes great distress from both sides of the relationship, and their lives.

    Phantom Thread was certainly a surprise for me in multiple ways. I expected largely a character piece about a dressmaker, and the model that he reluctantly fell in love with, and to a point that is what I received. However, that description would undersell the film by quite a lot. The relationship from the outset is much more complex than a simple romance, and the characters more difficult in their approaches. Reynolds is a confident, charismatic, and at times quietly sinister individual. While Alma appears soft and manipulative at the outset has a strong undercurrent, and dark side that truly drives her. Daniel Day-Lewis is considered one of the finest actors of the last 20+ years if not all time, his performance is of course, impeccable. However, the performances he is surrounded by Vicky Krieps as Alma, and Lesley Manville as his sister and manager Cyril are equally up to par and just as dynamic and powerful.

Audio/Video (5/5)

    Universal presents Phantom Thread in a splendid 1:85:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer preserving the OAR of the film.  The Blu-ray as presented looks lush, and gorgeous, preserving the cold textures of the English countryside, and the warm tones of the London fashion scene of the 50's, plus everything in between. Detail throughout is excellent, black tones are nice and deep, and I could find nothing to truly complain about.

    Audio is presented via a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track in English. The track sounds quite impeccable with dialogue, score, and ambient sound coming through crisp and clear. No issues to be reported.

Extras (1.5/5)

    There are some camera tests, footage of a fashion show, deleted scenes, and behind the scenes photos. Really not much.

Overall

    P.T. Anderson's Phantom Thread is an absolutely brilliant gothic romance that veers into suspense territory throughout its running time in quite interesting ways. It is one of the most visually fantastic and well acted films I have seen this year, and  it is quite easy to highly recommend the film on those merits alone. The Blu-ray has a gorgeous transfer and great sound, however, it is lacking in extras. RECOMMENDED.