Phantom Thread (2017)

Since I saw The Master five or six years ago, I have evolved. My taste has changed and I've learned to appreciate different kinds of movies. I think it might be time to revisit The Master, widely praised as one of the greatest films of the century (for some reason). I clearly was too young to appreciate Paul Thomas Anderson back then. And now? Well I didn't hate Phantom Thread; in fact, I really liked it. Anderson is so carefully deliberate in crafting this film with a delicate hand as Woodcock crafts his dresses. The sumptuous orchestral score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood paired with Daniel Day-Lewis's effortless acing is just marvelous. I'm not sure how they play together so well if it was Greenwood composing in Day-Lewis's style or vice versa. More likely it is Anderson's meticulous direction. Early on in the movie, there is a delightful scene in which Woodcock is ordering food at a restaurant and it's difficult to explain why but the combination of the music and acting just make me smile. What I liked most about the film is the tone that it evokes through these elements. I don't know how he pitched the movie because I'd have a hard time telling you what it's about. The trailer for the movie put forth a premise of a dressmaker hiding things in his dresses--maybe I missed the point but it turned out to be a relatively minor part of the movie. At its core, the movie is a romance and the fashion setting, while gorgeous, is secondary. Perhaps most baffling is the left turn it takes in the last fifteen minutes. I don't want to simply chalk it off to love is strange but romance is strange, isn't it?

Maleficent (2014)

This movie is part origin story, part retelling of Sleeping Beauty, part altering the original story.  The movie attempts to Wicked-fy Maleficent, remaking the traditional villain into a morally ambiguous character.  However, whereas Wicked does not mess with the original source material, Maleficent takes lots of liberties in modifying the plot line of the classic Disney movie.

The movie has a really great look with a nice combination of CGI and practical effects.  This takes place in a dark, angular, and thorny fairy tale world.  Angelina Jolie is transformed into the iconic dark fairy with the aid of some intense makeup and a stylish pair of horns.  She has the presence of an ominous giant, filling the room or the forest.  She is so entertaining to watch because at times she can scare you and yet there are other times in which she shows vulnerability, a side of Maleficent we are not used to seeing.  Lastly, Lana del Rey's haunting rendition of Once Upon a Dream sends chills down the spine--a perfect arrangement for a powerful singer.