I, Tonya - movie review
I, Tonya
Plot: Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.
Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney
Director: Craig Gillespie
Certificate: 15 (very strong language, scenes of domestic violence)
Runtime: 2hrs
Release Date: Friday 23rd February 2018
Those who lived through the 90s will likely know this story but I was one of the very few who wandered into I, Tonya knowing next to nothing about the true story it was based on. I knew it involved competitive figure skating and an unfortunate incident regarding an assault against Nancy Kerrigan but that was the absolute most of my knowledge. Therefore, I'm pleased to report that for someone who went in as blind as can be, I, Tonya impresses on all fronts as it informs and entertains at the same time.
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| How I leave work at the end of my shift. |
At face value, I, Tonya screams Oscar bait. It's a story about a prolific sporting figure who had a traumatic childhood causing her to have a hardened and ferocious personality as an adult. However, the clever twist that director, Gillespie (Lars & The Real Girl, The Finest Hours) and screenwriter, Steven Rogers (Hope Floats, Christmas With The Coopers), put on the film is that instead of treading down clichéd territory, the tale of Tonya Harding is told with a darkly comic spin. Thanks to a very smart idea of utilising a documentary look for scenes based on real interviews and actors often breaking the fourth wall, the feel of the movie is kept fresh and rarely strays into a generic atmosphere. There is also a healthy reliance on dark comedy to drive the movie forward. Whether it be ludicrously offensive outbursts by Tonya's mother (Janney), profanity flying left, right and centre or a bewilderingly dark romance between Tonya and her abusive husband, the film never settles for drama alone. There is always a joke to crack or something to be made fun of. In terms of the humour, it's Paul Walter Hauser (Kingdom, Super Troopers 2) who steals the show. He stars as Tonya's security guard after being recommended by her husband. He also has an integral part to play in the assault of Nancy Kerrigan and as shocking as it may be, to see this buffoon stumble around and believe himself to be a fully fledged CIA informant and counter-terrorism expert (this is all true), had me in stitches. That being said, Gillespie and Rogers know when to forgo the comedy and bring the focus back to the story because, and this should be noted, Tonya Harding's life was not a fortuitous one. The film opens with Tonya as a child played by the ever impressive and sure to be star, Mckenna Grace (Gifted, Designated Survivor). We are also introduced to Tonya's mother who puts the crazy, fame-hungry, abusive mothers from Dance Moms to shame. Allison Janney (The Help, The Hours) stars as the mother from hell and she absolutely crushes it in the role. Spouting words that would make a priest blush in every other line of dialogue, Janney has rightfully earned her nomination and will likely take home the award. Janney instantly reminded me of J.K. Simmons' aggressive conductor from Whiplash as a character you hate with every essence in your body but yet you are captivated by the performance the actor is giving. Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War) also makes a notable appearance as Tonya's husband. Personally, whilst Janney and Robbie are deservedly earning critical acclaim for their performances, Stan is being criminally overlooked for his visceral and rage-driven performance. Admittedly, some of his scenes are incredibly difficult to watch as it usually involves him berating his wife physically and verbally but the commitment to the role and the god-awful moustache make Stan emerge as not just The Winter Soldier from the Marvel movies but a talent to watch for the future.
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| When a customer tells you a joke and you have to pretend to be interested... |
FACT: Although a member of an amateur ice hockey league, Margot Robbie didn't have that much skating experience before taking on the role of Tonya Harding.
Another impressive quality to I, Tonya is the depiction of the "Incident" (as the characters refer to it) with Nancy Kerrigan. For someone who knew nothing, the way the movie captured it was full of tension and played out similar to a heist from the Ocean's trilogy, but it was the aftermath where you, the audience, are left to your own interpretation of events to decide whether Harding is truly to blame. Similar to Tonya herself, the film is rough around the edges. Despite some stylish editing and cinematography to keep the energy flowing, it did feel about ten minutes too long. As the film was building up to the "Incident", the plot kept repeating itself as if to fill some time. CGI also let the film down during the ice skating sequences. Firstly, whilst Robbie had clearly done some of the skating herself, for tricks such as a triple axel and spins, her face was clumsily placed onto a professional appearing like a bad Photoshop. It also didn't help that during these sequences, the film looked as if an Instagram filter had washed over the camera lens with the light and colour becoming amplified. Rather than looking stylish, it came across more unprofessional and incomplete. Thankfully, redemption can be found in the soundtrack which is a hyper mix of 80s power ballads and a collection of songs that wouldn't be amiss from any American road trip. It also becomes the second film in a year to use Fleetwood Mac's, The Chain (used in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2), which is enough to sell me on the film itself. However, Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad, The Wolf Of Wall Street) is the one who walks away as my prominent talking point. This is her best role to date and she has already got an impressive career behind her. Becoming a beacon of energy and powering this movie forward, Robbie is transformative as Tonya to the point where she had completely disappeared into the role. She was the main emotional hook of the story and even though the casting of Robbie as fifteen year-old Tonya Harding left a lot to be considered, when Tonya eventually grows up and is at the height of her career, Robbie is captivating. She may borrow a few too many traits from her horrendous mother but you can't help but feel her pain and sorrow as her world begins to crumble down. Personally, I can't blame Tonya entirely for her actions because when you're surrounded by horrible human beings, then you're undoubtedly going to emulate that behaviour but as the movie suggests, we're unlikely to even discover the truth about what actually happened.
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| Like me, Bucky can't wait for Infinity War either. |
I, Tonya might not be the most profound movie to hit the awards scene this year or the most technically advanced but it does seem to be the most rewatchable. It will make you laugh, even in the darkest of situations, and it will put forward the sporting spirit in that no matter the personal situation or who may stand in your way, following your dreams and ambitions should always be a priority. Robbie and Janney give career best performances and the style of the film is what makes it different from typical sporting dramas.
My Verdict: 8/10
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