MOVIE REPORT CARD: I, TONYA

DATE: 12/8/17
TITLE: I, TONYA
DIRECTOR: CRAIG GILLESPIE
STARRING: MARGOT ROBBIE, SEBASTIAN STAN, ALLISON JANNEY, PAUL WALTER HAUSER

GRADES

ACTING: 90
DIRECTING: 90
SCREENPLAY: 85 
EDITING: 85
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 85
SOUNDTRACK: 90

​FINAL: 88/B+

COMMENTS

I, Tonya is one of the first film experiences in a long time, where I felt old. I remember all of this stuff vividly. Very vividly (that clip of Nancy Kerrigan was played endlessly over and over again) . This was a big deal, and it also makes a particular moment in the film, all the more poignant. I, Tonya never really preaches, and never really tries to take a side. And the film is all the better for it. Craig Gillespie, does some interesting tricks within the narrative, which helps to muddy the waters a bit. However, it never crosses a blatant line. Which makes the film all the more entertaining. The cast is fantastic here, and they really help the movie along, as the middle section of the film slows down a bit. Surprisingly, I, Tonya, is quite funny. It helps ease some of the real tension, one might have going into the film because of the subject matter. Allison Janney, gives one of the best performances of her career here. It's both funny and heartbreaking at the same time. I, Tonya is a fascinating character study, of an "incident" that shook the world. An "incident" in the world of Figure Skating no less. It's a snapshot of a period of time, where 24 hour news and gossip, was hitting its stride. It's a solid go around the rink.