Monday 5 March 2018

Film: 'I, Tonya'

Agreeably exceeding my expectations, I was impressed with this despite knowing nothing at all of the actual events it's based on - depicted method-wise with considerable licence and verve. Although the culmination of the saga, referred to as the 'incident', was as recently as 1994 I don't recall it being a news item, though from its nature it surely must have been.

In Portland, Oregon, Tonya Harding (played by Margot Robbie) is a top ranking ice figure skater having reached the peak by dint of relentless pressure and bullying from her mother-from-hell (Allison Janney, now clutching Oscar for Best Supporting Actress - against which I have no argument). This sweary-mouthed, humourless matriarch, with never a word of encouragement from her lips, only constant carping and criticism (plus impetuous domestic violence), wears her meanness like armour, not letting the merest suggestion of praise through. She maintains she's sacrificed her entire life to her daughter's training - and complains she's not appreciated for what she's done - and she single-handedly removes her child out of all education in order to devote her daughter's time to training, and practice, practice, practice.  We see Tonya being bullied even as a little girl, but as she grows into adolescence there's no let-up of the harsh regime. And when she starts dating a young man (Sebastian Stan) the mother expresses her disapproval right up to and after their marriage. It very soon becomes evident that Tonya has found a husband who resorts to violence at least as quickly as her mother, perhaps even moreso, with his flying off the handle for the slightest reason, or practically none at all. At least the mother's justifiable  (as she maintains) motive is that she's only doing it for her daughter's advancement and good, even if ineffectually, but the husband has no such pretext to fall back on. His unpredictable behaviour appears near-psychotic. All the time, Tonya has turned out to be no shrinking violet herself but will stand up for herself, not only swearing just as liberally as anyone, but also retaliating with violence in kind. One can understand Tonya's behaviour much more readily than that of the other two, considering that she knew no other way to live.
Meanwhile her competitiveness against her ice skating 'colleagues' (more like enemies in combat) takes nasty twists and reaches such a pitch on her wanting to be included in the American team coming up to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, that her main rival is subjected to an horrific attack. If, like me, you didn't know the story, I'd better say no more.

I was really impressed with Australian director's Craig Gillespie work here. There are some very violent moments between Tonya and her mother and between Tonya and her husband, but they are all so snappily edited that despite occasional flinches I found I hardly ever had to look away. (In fact the only time I couldn't look was near the film's beginning when a rabbit is shot at).  
I thought the script was superior throughout, and handled credibly by a uniformly strong cast.
My only major reservation is that all through the film a character may suddenly break off from a scene and directly address the camera - sometimes with a "This never happened!" or "This did happen!" . I wasn't quite sure of the point of this other than to add a light-heartedness to the drama which, to be honest, isn't as uniformly bleak as might have been thought, given the subject matter. There are already occasional comedic touches in the script itself. 
The entire film is also punctuated by older versions of the main characters (presumably today) commenting wryly on the story as it progresses.  

I found the film very absorbing, and it was on the whole, quite a genuine treat to watch...................7.5.

22 comments:

  1. Yes I am eagerly looking forward to this one Raymondo .
    Janney is a particular favourite actress of mine

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    1. I didn't know the name at all, JayGee, though I see she's had some non-top=billing parts in films I've seen. This one will definitely raise her profile further, fully deserved.

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  2. I also wanted to add that Janney always reminds me of Eve Arden , the wisecracking best friend of so many 40s leading ladies

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    1. Eve Arden? Oh dear, also a name that doesn't mean anything to me. My loss, I guess.

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    2. I could see Janney as an Eve Arden type; she'd be great!

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  3. I got to see Finding Your Feet today. I have written about it tonight, in a post with other things. I remember the Tonya incident and it was big scandal in skating at the time. I am not sure about seeing the film, I am not usually too keen on these real life sport story films.

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    1. Strange that the story has completely forsaken my memory, Rachel, when it must have been big news. There's no accounting for it. But there it is.
      I think that with this film's stylised touches like characters speaking to the audience it will be further reason for your disliking it.

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  4. I am glad Allison Janney won the Oscar last night for her role in this (I've been a fan of hers ever since The West Wing) but I can't imagine seeing the film. I vividly remember the incident; I think I was the only person around who could not stand Nancy Kerrigan (although of course, of course she didn't deserve to be attacked). But still...

    We are attempting to see Lady Bird this weekend. I am hoping it is still playing by the time we get to it.

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    1. Elle Clancy - I could never stand Nancy Kerrigan, either!

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    2. Elle, Janney delivers a convincing portrait of an obnoxious parent with little or no redeeming features at all - and yet despite this she (the actress) wins our admiration for her playing the part so believably.

      Hoping to see 'Lady Bird' later today. I hope my low expectations will be as confounded as they were with 'Tonya'.

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  5. The Tonya Harding scandal was a huge media circus here in the U.S. (we love a good soap opera) - and it was made into a movie for TV in 1994 (I think it was called "Tonya and Nancy").

    It seems to me that in both films Tonya Harding's "victimization" is slightly exaggerated (that's just a humble personal opinion).

    I haven't seen this latest film but - judging from your review - I would like to. Thanks for your insightful input!

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    1. If Tonya suffered in being victimised in that TV version (not seen by me, of course) I think you'll find it less so in this, portraying her as naive, culpable yet arrogantly believing she was unfairly treated by all and sundry. I think you'll approve of it, Jon.

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  6. I was fascinated by this story at the time (and a contemporary documentary about it) and would love to see this film! Thanks for the review!

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    1. My pleasure, H.B. I hope you get as much out of it as I did. Thanks for your visit here.

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  7. We saw this a couple of months ago and I've waited for your review. I'm glad you liked it, and I agree about the violence ... it's shocking but no so in your face for violence's sake.
    And all the actors were good, though I must admit to having a mad crush on Sebastian Stan.

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    1. He (Stan) had a certain cloney-ish attraction, I suppose.
      As a whole the film tuned out to be a welcome surprise for me, and not knowing the story seemed to have made no difference. I repeat, though, that I'm uncertain about all the talk into the camera. Just couldn't see the point, though certainly something a bit different. Yes, glad I saw it even when I wasn't so keen.

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  8. There’s always a story behind the story. I remember the incident between Tonya and Nancy. It was all over the news too. There is always a reason why people act out. When we don’t know the truth, we tend agree with the media. Going through constant trauma; changes how the brain reacts to situations. I enjoyed your review. The movie 🎥 has shed light to why ? She was really hated by many. The movie has made her human. Gabs

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    1. The film was a bit of an education for me, Gabs, in telling me something which I ought to have recalled but for some mysterious reason can't. I do feel though that her personality, so generally disliked, was moulded by her mother such that Tonya knew no other way to conduct herself. At least that's what I take away from the film, that her mother deserves thee greater part of the blame. You are also right in that we tend to form our opinions based on what the media feeds us, demonstrating the power it has if we allow it unchallenged to form our views.

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  9. I recently heard a podcast on her.
    Fascinating woman.

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    1. A bit mentally bruised? Though which of us can claim NOT to be?

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  10. The movie was well done and both Margot and Allison played their parts well I thought. The movie kept me interested and I found myself surprised at how much I liked it.

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    1. Me too. I wasn't expecting to like it half as much as I did.

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