I, Tonya

Far more interesting than the figure skating itself here is the portrayal of Tonya's struggle with public opinion and her pathetic effort to improve her visual self-presentation on the ice. Whereas her toxic yet rather ambiguous relationship with both her mother and her own husband is a chapter unto itself. It can't go without notice that Margot Robbie has notably porked up and "gotten ugly" for this role so her performance as an American hillbilly can be properly authentic. When you think of Margot Robbie in any other film, the contrast between her usual beauty and the unattractiveness she has here is almost adorable. Craig Gillespie has an exquisite flair for engagingly portraying key scenes, which is already evident in the opening on the ice, when a fuming mother in the middle of the rink pushes her four-year-old daughter "to teach her a lesson". The fact that the individual characters are portrayed rather contradictorily, and that you’re rooting for the film itself rather than the protagonist, moves the whole narrative into uncharted waters as far as autobiographical adaptations are concerned. [85%] (19/04/2022)

Yeah, I remember the controversy around Tonya Harding, but it was interesting to see the story background. Based on the title of the film, I was expecting a drama about how some athletes will do anything to participate in the Olympics. The story was weirdly fragmented, though, as if the filmmakers wanted to handle multiple themes at once, not fully focusing on any one of them. Despite some reservations, I was intrigued by the film, Shawn and his boys took care of the laughs, and I particularly enjoyed the mother-daughter relationship portrayed by Allison Janney and Margot Robbie. (01/07/2018)

Perhaps the best film of 2017, simply AMAZING in every way. The life story of Harding was worth making into a film, and finally, someone took it on. A wide range of critics and reviewers compare the film to Goodfellas, and I think I understand why. It has an excellent yet original storytelling approach, with the main trio of actors competing in impressive performances, and the story is captivating and, importantly, funny (though it's not entirely humorous given the ruined knee, but if they had taken it seriously, it would have ended catastrophically). I don't even know where to start. Surprisingly, Sebastian Stan impressed me the most, playing the crazy madman with real brilliance (hello, where's his nomination for supporting role? The academicians missed that one). Robbie is properly convincing, and Allison Janney's portrayal of her mother has definitely paved a path to the Oscars with her precise performance. I also appreciate the powerful soundtrack that greatly benefited the film. It's hard to say whether her real punishment was justified or somewhat excessive. They probably wanted to set an example that athletes shouldn’t behave this way (even though she likely didn’t know a physical attack was being planned against her colleague). If the film had strayed from historical context and the real story, everyone might think it couldn’t happen, but it did indeed happen. As that entertaining journalist with flawless interjections said: "THEY HIRED THE TWO BIGGEST IDIOTS IN A STORY FULL OF IDIOTS." That is the most accurate depiction of everything we witnessed in the film. More films like this, please. I give it 91%. (10/08/2018)

I didn't think I was going to be that entertained by this film, but given the way it is shot and the performances in particular (Margot Robbie and the incredibly exuberant Allison Janney, not to mention little McKenna, who shines everywhere, even if only for a moment in this film), I had to smile and just enjoy myself the entire time, also because of how interestingly the film is shot. (24/01/2018)

The true face of America. I, Tonya skates along the borders between drama and comedy, but there is more truth in her story than it seems at first glance. A comedy about simple rednecks slips into a cruel family drama at unexpected moments and works with truth as it suits (parrot on the coat, shooting at the husband). The acting is super in all cases (particularly the mom is priceless), but Margot is plain fantastic and I think she deserves an Oscar. The American Dream inside out. I think that you really should kill yourself. (05/03/2018)