There are few things more exciting in film than a Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Thomas Anderson movie. The last time the two masters of cinema worked together was a decade ago for There Will Be Blood, a film that earned Day-Lewis the second of his three Oscars for Best Actor.
Now, Anderson and Day-Lewis have joined forces again on the upcoming Phantom Thread. Little was known about this project—which might just be Day-Lewis's final movie—until this month, when Focus Features released the full synopsis:
Set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the centre of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock's life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love. With his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson paints an illuminating portrait both of an artist on a creative journey, and the women who keep his world running.
Now, they've shared the first trailer, which once again has Day-Lewis transformed into an entirely new character. Nearly the opposite of his explosive, power-hungry Daniel Plainview, Woodcock is a soft-spoken, delicate man. He's a creative, somewhat aloof, and engrossed in a world of seams and cloth. Certainly, Day-Lewis is aiming for his fourth Oscar, and Anderson, with the soft glowing shots of dresses and the perfect studio lighting, is hoping for his long-overdue Oscar for Best Director.
Phantom Thread opens on 25 December. Check out the trailer below.
