Phantom Thread 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		5.0

Phantom Thread 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 20, 2018

Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread is a story of eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, routine, and the prospects of love upsetting one man's settled, strict ways. It's the tale of a man, a master of his craft, who has mastered his life but in such a rigid, precise, exacting way that he cannot alter it, even for matters of the heart. It's a fascinatingly detailed, often intense, and superbly acted film that builds towards and ending that's at once absurd and irrational but at the same time very much grounded and appropriate as a final evolutionary step in one of the most bizarre yet captivating romances ever committed to film.

Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) lives a life as structured, precise, fashionable, and lavish as the clothes he designs. He is a man who is superbly talented, a dressmaker known far and wide as the finest at his craft, a master whose designs bring joy to those who wear them and, as he relishes his precision and skill and thrives in his routine, to himself. One day, he meets a slender, alluring waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps) to whom he is immediately drawn, and she to him. The two enjoy a mutual attraction, and as Reynolds accentuates her beauty with his clothes, draping her in fabrics with a sensual overtone, she melts into the moment. But the illusion is broken when Reynolds' sister, a cold and distant woman named Cyril (Lesley Manville) on whom Reynolds relies to keep his strict life in Swiss watch precision time, arrives to aid in the measurements, turning a romantic moment into a cold evening at work. Their relationship is defined by his distance and necessary adherence to routine and strict control of his environment. He finds her more off putting than he does lovely, at least in how he verbalizes himself in her presence. Whether the act of buttering her bread or bringing him late-night tea, her intrusions into his space threaten their relationship. But Alma is determined to make it work, going to great, and dangerous, lengths to put Reynolds into a vulnerable position in which she can properly demonstrate her love for him with his guard down.

Phantom thread may be described as a movie about obsession. The obsession comes from two sides, which clash. On one side is Reynolds, who is a slave to his structure. On the other is Alma, who is determined to break Reynolds free of his routine and see him see the love she has for him. Both of them forcefully will their ways on the other. Reynolds verbally chastises Alma every time she stands in his way, whether innocently and inadvertantly disrupting his ways or willfully forcing him to succumb and come to a point where he absolutely needs her. To speak of how she does so would be to spoil the film, but suffice it to say she undertakes extreme measures to break an extreme man. Whether it will work is the question, and whether the audience will accept the resolution is another entirely, but the movie is one of compromise, no matter how extreme the requirements to do so may be, or may become.

Characters are very well crafted. Reynolds is a confident man in himself, in his wants, and in his abilities as a dressmaker. He is careful, precise, adheres to routine, and his unflinchingly straight path all ensure he’s on-point for every step of the dress making process. He craves attention, high society, and demands that the world bend to his every whim, spoken or unspoken, known or implied. Alma has lived a much less glamorous life, one of distance from all those things Reynolds takes for granted. She lacks confidence but suddenly feels important as the centerpiece of Reynolds' life, however fleeting those moments may be. She is a common girl who suddenly finds herself in the world of glamor, wearing exquisite clothes, coming to appreciate her body type, but the warmth and romance quickly fade when Reynolds, carefully building a dress to suit her, turns the moment from almost arrousingly sexual to cold and distant when his sister enters the room, sizes Alma up, and the quasi-lovemaking session turns into another day at the office for a man who finds more pleasure with a measuring tape in his hand rather than a woman’s warmth against his body.

Vicky Krieps is superb as Alma. She doesn't overshadow Day-Lewis, but she's the perfect compliment and certainly reaches nearly his level. She's supple, flattering, and delicate, at first, but her transition into a more authoritative figure who still projects a modesty and subservience but who truly takes command of her environment by film's end makes for a startling, albeit very finely precise, transformation. She's capable of remarkable transformations even within the same scene or even shot. At several points her cheerfulness becomes a dourness and her arousal grows instantly cold. It's in how she handles those ever-evolving emotions, as Reynolds gives her reason to superficially and inwardly change and develop, that makes the character so appealing. Day-Lewis, in what is being reported as his final role, devours the material as only he can, selling not simply his abilities as a dressmaker but his rigidity in structure and schedule so well. He shows hints of a warmness, but the cold exterior and insistence on adhering to the status quo, no matter how far he may consequentially push Alma away, is always delivered with a chillingly bold and believable cadence.

Phantom Thread 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Rather than release Phantom Thread's UHD day-and-date with its companion Blu-ray, Universal has opted to briefly delay the film's 4K home debut by a matter of weeks. Hopefully, UHD-capable fans have been patient, and the question is whether that patience paid off. The answer? Absolutely. The film-sourced native 4K 2160p resolution presentation offers a very nice upgrade to an impressive Blu-ray. Grain texturing is more refined across the board, particularly in lower light. Still, grain density is high and not particularly discrete, but it's beautifully translated on UHD, more flattering and comparatively more complimentary. Blacks, such as dark attire, and shadow detail, such as nighttime or low light exteriors, present with a firmer authenticity, accuracy, and depth. Textures are moderately to significantly sharper, including faces, clothes (obviously so critical to the movie's visual fabric), and interior and exterior elements. Color depth is much improved. Color temperature drifts warmer, which translates into fuller, deeper flesh tones as well as warmer, more confident mahoganies, reds, and diffuse light sources from lamps and unnatural lights. More natural light pouring into frame, bathing lighter colored clothes and pale skin, are sured up on UHD. Light sources are less garish and more flattering, more balanced, aided by the warmer color temperate and improved balance and nuanced saturation. Whites, including that which defines the wedding dress that is one of the primary narrative centerpieces in the film, are more intense while presenting with a firmer, more evenly accurate and distinct appearance. Color and mood are critical to the movie, and the UHD's HDR-10 color palette easily enhances and compliments rather than ruins the carefully tuned composition and vital, precise lighting. Universal's UHD turns a visually impressive movie into a home video work of art.

Phantom Thread 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Phantom Thread features a DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack, exactly the same as that to be found on the previously released Blu-ray disc. Musical notes are beautifully clear and tailored, with a fine range of piano strokes, strings, and supportive low end accompaniment, as necessary, offering an enriching, precise, and wide presentation. Music is largely the property of the front channels, but the surrounds do engage with modest support structure. The track features wonderful atmospheric fill, too, the first example coming in the eight-minute mark as the film shifts to a fashion show and a restaurant. Delivery of those sounds Reynolds finds irritating are not amplified, but the contextual emphasis on them is critical, and the track handles them with proper volume and concern for the finest detail. There are no obvious overhead sound implementations, and even as surrounds are sparsely populated, the extra channels at least help to create a fuller sense of place, no matter how minor. Dialogue propels the majority of the film, and it finds excellence in all categories: placement, prioritization, and clarity.

Phantom Thread 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Phantom Thread contains a few extras actually on the UHD disc, the same list as was available on the previously released (and bundled here) Blu-ray. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. Note that the package ships in a transparent case, rather than basic UHD black, and it's a little thicker than the standard case as well; for those who own any physical Playstation 4 games, the case is about the same size as the ones that house those games.

• Camera Tests (2160p, 8:42): A high quality extra with the optional Paul Thomas Anderson commentary in which he walks the viewer through highly technical and highly interesting insight into the various film stocks used in the tests and the benefits they brought to the product.
• For the Hungry Boy (Deleted Scenes) (2160p, 4:51): A collection of various scenes. Music by Jonny Greenwood.
• House of Woodcock Fashion Show (2160p, 2:47): As seen in the film, a fashion show clip. Narrated by Adam Buxton.
• Behind the Scenes Photographs (2160p, 11:56): Photos by Michael Bauman set to demo versions of Jonny Greenwood's score.

Phantom Thread 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Phantom Thread is a curious but delightfully dark tale of obsession from two opposing viewpoints. It's careful, precise, strange, and engaging all at once. And sadly in contemporary cinema, Phantom Thread is an anomaly. It's not concerned with speed or humor, flash or dazzle. It's cinema as art in a traditional sense, a perfectly acted dual character study, a finely crafted tale of intimate extremes and how love can, or cannot, mold those who feel it. It's an exquisite picture, as smartly crafted as its lead is capable of building the perfect dress. One could not ask for a better performance from Daniel Day-Lewis in what is being widely reported as his final role. Universal's UHD offers a well-rounded upgrade over the Blu-ray, certainly in textural clarity and accuracy and clearly in HDR color enhancements. Sound and supplements are the same: excellent. Very highly recommended.