Well, that's slightly disappointing.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread is a film loved by cinema buffs and fashion fanatics alike. Apparently, however, The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence isn’t either one of those, as she decided to turn off PTA’s latest after the first three minutes.
In an interview on Marc Maron’s podcast Lawrence, while promoting her upcoming Red Sparrow film, said, “I got through about three minutes of it. I put in a good, solid three. Oh my god, I couldn’t. I’m sorry to anybody who loved that movie. I couldn’t give that kind of time.”
I loved that movie Jennifer. I did.
She went on: “Is it just about clothes? Is [Reynolds Woodcock] kind of like a narcissistic sociopath and he’s an artist so every girl falls in love with him because he makes her feel bad about herself and that’s the love story? I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know. I’ve been down that road, I know what that’s like, I don’t need to watch that movie [laughs].”
For the record — no, that’s not what Phantom Thread is really about. Yes, it’s a love story about an uptight and incredibly selfish fashion designer who enters into a relationship with a much more humble and fragile woman, but it’s far more complicated than that. Anderson weaves (get it?) in themes and surprises that will leave some viewers wanting to watch it multiple times, not just the first three minutes.
I mean, Phantom Thread isn’t a movie for everyone so I certainly can’t hold it against Jennifer Lawrence. Everyone has their own taste and opinions, and she’s entitled to hers. Yet, she was also the star of Mother!, which was easily one of the most controversial and out there films of 2017, so one could be forgiven for thinking she would be open to more experimental cinema.
Phantom Thread is nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Red Sparrow, meanwhile, opens in theaters this weekend.