Horrifying look at love & marriage
Marriage would make me deceitful” intones the self-centred protagonist of this multiple Oscar nominated film. Appropriately, the movie opens with a lengthy rendition of (one of my favourite songs) My Foolish Heart from the movie of the same name. The lead character (essayed by 3-time Academy award winner and son of English Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis) creates bespoke clothing for aristocracy and the elegance of haute couture and his home, means classical music pervades the narrative along with an original score by Jonny Greenwood. Renowned couturier Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is assisted by his devoted sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) who tactfully gets rid of his women until he meets a young waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps) during a serendipitous stop in the countryside. She passes a “test” and is whisked to London where she is installed as chief muse and mistress. But Alma wants to live up to her name. Does she? For, love is not love when man is oppressive and woman subjugated.
But the characters populating Paul Thomas Anderson’s eighth movie, and his second with the awesome DayLewis, have strange notions of marriage and love. Director-writer Anderson suggests the obvious – that sacrifices must be made – to adjust and settle into the comforting cocoon of marital bliss. But how much? And what kind? The only woman Reynolds has truly loved is his dead mother who appears to him when he is ill. Or does he imagine it? “I have made a dreadful mistake” he confides in his sister. Alma, too is not content with the dysfunctional relationship and takes steps to rectify the situation. But what? Anderson has crafted a harrowing, horror film about marriage.