Phantom Thread

THE GIST: It's the 1950s London and Reynolds Woodcock is the couturier of choice for royalty, socialites, movie stars, and the like. His exquisite creations are perfect in every detail, and so is the rest of his life, which he controls obsessively, supported by his sister Cyril, who runs the business side of things with a firm hand. One day, Reynolds meets Alma, a young waitress who immediately catches his eye and stirs his passions. She quickly becomes his assistant, muse, and eventually lover, but she's also a strong-willed woman and her arrival causes ripples in Reynold's carefully curated life.

Phantom Thread is a very refined film and an excellent specimen of high-end cinema. It almost feels like a textbook example of what motion pictures were invented for.

Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Original Score, Lead Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis is absolutely superb), and Supporting Actress (Lesley Manville, also excellent), it took home the Oscar for Best Costume Design, for which is was probably a shoo-in, given the topic. So well deserved.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A feast for the eyes with nary a visual effect in sight, Phantom Thread tells a captivating tale.

Grade: 8