Page 6 January 4, 2018
Entertainment
Film Review Check It Out
Turtles All the Way Down: John
Green Captivates in Latest Novel
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A Beguiling Romance with a Twist
By Ryan Rojas for www.cinemacy.
com
Love can be quite intoxicating. So can
Paul Thomas Anderson movies. Anderson’s
natural cinephile sensibilities have allowed
him to make some of the very best films of
all time. Seemingly drawing straight from
the well of pure cinema, his films are dazzling
masterpieces that seep deeply into the
audiences’ subconscious and only get better
the more they are thought about over time.
Set in the high-fashion world of post-war
London, Phantom Thread is the story of an
Phantom Thread courtesy of Focus Features.
obsessive dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis) and
the woman he meets who tames him--until
a rocky disruption ensues that forces each
to see how essential they are to the other.
An absolutely gorgeous work and a rich
feast for the eyes, this period piece is one
that deserves to be seen on the big screen.
One thing that separates Phantom
Thread from Anderson’s other films is that it’s
Anderson himself who’s behind the camera
for this movie. Here he assumes director
of photography duties as well as directing.
When you’re able to operate the camera,
pick the lenses and make your own lighting
decisions, you are exacting full control to
execute your vision, as he does here.
Reginald Woodcock (Day-Lewis) knows a
thing or two about the necessity of control
when it comes to creating his works of art.
And with that comes his need for perfection,
irritable if otherwise. Mercilessly meticulous
in realizing his vision, it’s his sister Cyril
(Lesley Manville) who takes to tempering
his frustrations while she helps him run
the business. Woodcock may in fact be the
character that most closely mirrors Anderson
himself--the commentary on his own
had other muses before. One is seen before
the arrival of Alma, but it’s Alma whom we
find is his match and whose presence in his
life of consuming routine and ritual slowly
frays at the seams. Woodcock tries to live his
life of narcissistic vanity in his undisturbed
artistry, but Alma disrupts this vision before
the movie reveals its screwball story that
forces Reginald and Alma to realize how
much they need each other.
His most reduced story yet, Phantom
Thread is carried by the beguiling performances
of the two lovers. The performance
artistic sensibilities (and shortcomings) as a
perfectionist auteur. He shows that creating
such beautiful pieces often comes from a
joyless place.
This makes the introduction of Alma (Vicky
Krieps) one that inspires Woodcock. He has Ryan Rojas
that Day-Lewis exacts as
Woodcock in control and
restraint is as exacted as
any craftsman. If we are
to believe his statement
that this is indeed his final
screen performance, then
it is a fantastic one to leave
behind. Vicky Krieps as
Alma is a presence that
can suck the air right out
of a room, her face communicating
exactly what
she’s thinking.
The allure of a PTA
film is that there is always
more than meets the eye.
Interestingly, this is a
detail that is manifested
in the film. Woodcock
sews names and words
into the linings of his
pieces, blesses them or
just a creates a sneaky
secret that no one will
ever know. These codes
can leave any critic endlessly
intrigued.
Phantom Thread turns
out to be a phantom of a film itself, leaving
a mysterious and lasting impression that
will continue to occupy the mind long after
its watch. Creeping darkness and growing
tension make this love story one that will
sit quite well next to its peers.
Phantom Thread is 130 minutes. Rated R
for language. Now playing at the Landmark
and ArcLight Hollywood. •
Reviewed by Jeff Huttinger, Library
Assistant, El Segundo Public Library
I have to admit when it comes to young
adult (YA) author John Green, I can be a
bit biased. Oh sure, I may be considered
slightly older than a majority of his most
devoted fans, but I am from Indianapolis-
-Green’s hometown and setting of his most
recent novel, Turtles All the Way Down. It
takes more than hometown roots to win me
over though, which Green has managed to
do time and again. His latest offering is no
exception.
Meet Aza Holmes, 16-year-old amateur
detective on the trail of a criminal billionaire
who just happens to be the father of her
childhood crush, Davis Pickett. With quirky
best friend Daisy prodding her at every turn,
Aza sets out to find the absconded fugitive
and collect the $100,000 bounty. Aza’s plans
become muddled, however, as she finds
herself once again falling for the charming
and introspective Davis.
Where other YA authors may stop at typical
teenage hijinks in a man-on-the-run caper,
Green presses further, introducing the reader
to a world of mental illness and self-inflicted
injury through Aza’s obsessive-compulsive
disorder. Terrified of contracting C. difficile
colitis, Aza is compelled to tear at the
same wound on her finger several times a
day, convinced she can halt the advancing Turtles All The Way Down
Jeff Huttinger
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bacteria by bleeding out over and over again.
This compulsion invades nearly every thought
and action Aza experiences.
Green’s familiar traits (sharp dialogue,
wacky characters, mystery advancing the
plot) are on full display in Turtles, yet Green
consistently aims higher than hackneyed
coming-of-age tropes. He transcends the banal,
deconstructing the YA genre while elevating
it at the same time. What I enjoy most about
Green’s work is his deep dissatisfaction with
mere replication. I truly believe he would
rather not tell a story at all than tell one we
may already recognize.
Although good ol’ midwestern pride may
have served as an introduction to Green’s work,
it is the earnestness, heart and authenticity
infused throughout that had me waiting in
line with the young’uns, fervently anticipating
his first new book in five years.
To check out Turtles All the Way Down,
also available in eBook format, or browse
any of our other fiction titles, please visit the
library to apply for your free library card. •