Page 23 - Time Out Abu Dhabi

Day-Lewis says this is his final film

I laughed out loud during one scene, but Paul Thomas Anderson on set
then wasn’t sure I was supposed to.
I think if you’re taken with the movie, and if you ‘Toxic masculinity’ is a phrase that’s
feel that you’re part of House of Woodcock, cropped up in relation to Reynolds. This idea
you’re not sure if you’re allowed to make any of a powerful man abusing his power.
noise or not. [Reynolds] establishes early that Is it even masculinity? It’s more childish, it’s
there should be silence at breakfast, it sets the stunted. Toxic masculinity is a very modern
audience on edge. It’s so serious, it’s funny. phrase, it would seem to me, and you can apply
it, but this is more like arrested development.
You have four kids. I’m guessing breakfast is His mother has treated him as the golden boy
not a silent ritual in your home? but what happens when that boy grows up and
Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread
Wouldn’t it be great if I trained my children to be is still acting like a child? There are 300 women
completely silent at breakfast? No, it’s the exact in this house behind him, holding the place up,
opposite. It’s chaos, which is how I like it.
and the relationship he has with this intimacy…
AILOR Day-Lewis said your collaboration went right
Oh boy, it’s complicated.
You’ve talked about how you got ill and were
nursed by your wife, and how that inspired
the story. It came from a personal place –
down to texting each other ideas for his
did it end in one?
It certainly isn’t an accurate portrayal of my
filming, it became quite sad.
relationship, but I’d be lying if I said there were character name. But then when you started
Yeah, I know what he was referring to. With a
face a little bit so you’re never quite sure where no parallels. You’re always asking yourself certain distance, Àghts you might have in your
you stand. The scene where she sees Reynolds’ those questions: how are we going to make relationship about asparagus for dinner can be
wedding dress being badly treated was one of this work? How are we going to get through quite amusing – the next morning you look back
the most fun days I’ve had shooting. You could this? [You have] those wonderful stretches of and think what the hell was all that about – but
see her temperature rising. love, and then all those peculiarities that were in the moment they’re no fun. We spent a lot of
so romantic on the Àrst date, but you’re ready time mucking about in those combative scenes
Day-Lewis is remarkable in this movie. to strangle them for nine or ten years later. It’s between the two of them, [although] there were
When the news came that he’d retired, there funny, though, a disproportionate number of just as many laughs.
was a joke on Twitter that it was actually women come out and say, “I’m actually like
prep to play a retired actor. Reynolds.” I’m always shocked by that. Lastly I have to ask, does Day-Lewis use
[Laughs] Oh, that he was researching the role? emojis in his text messages?
Men and women are reacting differently? No, he’s got a Áip phone. He knows what
Yes, exactly that. Do you think people have Completely. You always identify with certain everything is, but he’s never been near an emoji
him all wrong? people and I think people like to identify with in his life. He’s still going “J-K-L”, typing three
I would bet the thing that people don’t see is a character’s breakfast habits. Generally, it letters to get to the “L”.
just how funny he can be. He doesn’t have that seems to fall into two categories: the silent
reputation, but he’s a funny guy. He’s sharp and types and the noisy types. My sister... if there’s Phantom Thread is in cinemas across the UAE
you can see it in his performance in this movie. a noise at breakfast she will snap. from February 1. Read our review on page 56.
timeoutabudhabi.com January 31 – February 6 2018 23