Review of I, Tonya (2017) by Pipec — 25 Apr 2018

It wasn't her fault. Uncovering the most controversial scandals in sports history has become cannon fodder for some writers this season. Late last year, Netflix's eye-opening documentary, "Icarus," faced up to the dishonest doping method created for hundreds of cyclists and athletes consciously by way of a narrative enough expressive and refined to take home one coveted Academy Award. In other circumstances, the seventh art chose to portray one of the most talked and paralyzing "incidents" in the history of female figure skating, Tonya Maxene Harding's.

It's not necessary to say that, in the first period, who seizes the story is Allison Janney, an Oscar-winning actress who plays the figure-skating prodigy's chain-smoking, domineering soulless mother. At an acting level, Janney is superb as LaVona, a character who demanded a complicated search for humanity amongst so much revulsion and coldness. Surprisingly, she gets it by using her overwhelming talent that knows the exact point between containment and emotional overflow.

In the second stage, two big screen giants take the lead, the actors who must handle the rest of the story. On the one hand, there is an unexpectedly fiery Sebastian Stan, whose performance reveals an overwhelming dramatic range, necessary and extremely functional to the story because of his character, Jeff is a great gamble in the mind of any actor because, as well as requiring a serious dedication and a keen eye to take the right positions in the right circumstances, it comes with a deep analysis on unwavering machismo in that time, however, also involves peculiarity portraying certain relationships in which women don't decide to cut a toxic relationship off. Stan left me speechless with the first blow, I didn't think at all that his role would take a turn as exciting as disturbing. And the big star of the show comes into play: Margot Robbie. The actress plays the title figure skater, Tonya, who must stand earnest personal falls throughout her life to understand that most of those unfortunate events coming her way almost daily have been consequences of the past, that "it's never my fault" card, repeated constantly by her, proves the irreverently empowered spirit of the woman, one which won't embrace man's injustice. The character is very caustic but deeply disturbing from the perspective in which the story exhibits it. The third stage can be named as the grand finale, the one that thousands of people in the 94's knew, yes, that "incident". A clear genre switch is perceived in this part, as it replaces the kind of black humor comedy with drama, and then jump to a singular thriller against the clock about the search for the culprit, a risky bet that could hurt the excellent dramatic construction that was being set up to that point. Besides, the whodunit sub-plot doesn't upstage the storyline, instead, it's articulated when it should and when it doesn't, allows the main story to follow its course to re-incorporate in the end, because we're there to see Tonya's full heap of trouble and that aspect has an important role. Artistically and technically, Gillespie's film excels, first of all, by the precise handling of incomparable framing and angles, putting in the second place its cinematography and the staging of other moments. Film inventiveness concerning the photographic stuff underlines what the script doesn't achieve by means of a simple but vivacious visual power, never falling into plasticity and always treating the vision of the director with respect. An unexpected and rebellious fourth wall breaking is highlighted, an unaccustomed technique in a drama and even more in a film of this nature, smashing the traditional rules imposed for biographical adaptations, it endows the film with an interesting satirical air that together with mockumentary style with which present the dramatized interviews, present an enviable balance between black humor and sentimental drama.

"I, Tonya" by Australian Craig Gillespie manufactures an aggressive portrayal about broken dreams, ambitions and success, vices, repercussions and defeats, working as, in addition to a voyeuristic and enlightening vehicle for the events that stirred the sporting world, an opportunity for gifted actors to push to the limit their interpretative skills. Stan, Robbie, and Janney keep firm the story from beginning to end with their impressive talent, fortifying Gillespie's intriguing vision and strange career, a filmmaker who with more indie stories could make a space among the giants. Incendiary, intense and praiseworthy acted, this film definitely puts a spotlight on actress-turned-producer Margot Robbie while showing a sweeping and realistic cinematic look at an event of unimaginable media outreach.