I, TONYA (2017)

1/12/18 - I, Tonya (2017) - 7/10

This cinematic frolic in the acutely messed up and comically offbeat life of Tonya Harding was a hell of a good time. Frenzied cool and intensely engaging, both as a drama and comedy.What is shuns in depth and breadth it nails in irreverent indulgence. Providing a vigorously amusing and uniquely humanizing portrait of an athlete turned celebrity turned pariah.

Snarky crassness and dynamism are turned to 11, as is the soundtrack. For me, it was the soundtrack to my childhood, playing like Guardians of the Galaxy meets sports biopic, but the radio knob got broken off on the “classic rock” station. It mostly tremendously works for this film, flavoring the “low class” sentiment but still being magnetic and something like edgy.

Robbie, Janney and Stan not only bring the heat but nail their real life counterparts. Margot’s performance is killer, emblazoning that smile, that sentiment behind the eyes, and the vulgarity that spoke to the communal creation of Harding that we made. Janney’s mother may not have had the range or flowering that I may have wanted, but she seized her moment and every scene she was in. Strong work by all here.

There is a winky metaness to it. Be the non-diagetic aged casting or the 4th wall breaking asides, it is a film that knows it is a film and revels in it. It allows for a playfulness and better “points of view” as to what REALLY happened (wink). It may be harder to take the entire spectacle as serious as it could be, but this film is about having a good time, but dry and earnest severity.

Few elements truly excelled on an otherworldly scale, but it is just so...fun. Has the resemblance to a catchy (and maybe cheesy) pop song that you just can’t help but tap your foot to. Hard not to like, but I can see how some might not love. But for me, it worked quite well and was a great time in the theater while still having the halo of stakes-filled emotion.