I, Tonya (2017)
Redneck does whatever it takes to be an Olympic skater.
Presentation:
With international ice skating on the rise, I, Tonya got bumped up in priority within the Hall of Spice. For those curious about the film, it doesn’t focus on ice skating as trailers would have you believe; it is foremost a comedic mockumentary about the Tonya Harding controversy. It’s quite an odd formula that doesn’t work as well as The Wolf of Wall Street because the intercutting interviews breaking the fourth wall suspend belief and lose connection with characters. As a result of the dramatization, it’s hard to take the real story seriously. Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan and the ice skating are just okay, Allison Janney blows us away with Oscar worthy abusive parenting. Every inch of her portrayal brings back haunting memories of a traumatic childhood.
Conclusion:
While the conspiracy is actually fascinating, the comedic aspects take away from its impact. Perhaps if the humor was sharper or less over the top I would find it seamlessly complementary to the narrative, but much of it is forced awkwardness. Humor is subjective, but compelling material is not.
Recommendations
The 2008 financial crisis shouldn’t be this fun.