Tis award season again. A time for those in the film industry to acknowledge the work of dedicated members of cinema, allowing many of them the chance to one day look back at their nominations or award wins as their greatest achievements. But I ask myself, is that what award season is about? In recent years I have found award season to be less about acknowledging good films, or opening doors to what eventually become greatly overlooked films, and more about the giant popularity contest that is Hollywood.
Tempting that it is to make unfavourable comparisons between Enrique Gato’s latest feature and Pixar’s recent Coco, it’s worth noting that the former has been achieved on pittance of the latter’s budget ($6m to $200m) and, despite many weaknesses, you can’t fault the ambition.
If this is it, if Phantom Thread marks the final act in the celebrated career of Daniel Day-Lewis, then what a way to go out on a high. With a triumphantly compelling performance from Day-Lewis up its sleeve – or rather, beneath its hem – this latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson is a sumptuously intimate experience.
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