Told from multiple
points of view and based on interviews (screenplay by Steven Rogers) of its
principals, I Tonya is a fascinating
study of one of the most infamous athletes of the twentieth century, skater
Tonya Harding.
Raised
in a broken home, Harding (Margot Robbie) is thrust into the world of figure
skating by her abusive, foul mouthed mom (Allison Janney nails it). When she
begins dating older Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), she trades one abusive
relationship for another. In the 1980s,
her ability to achieve the Holy Grail of skating, the triple axel, thrusts her
to the world championship, and she becomes, for one moment, arguably the best
skater in the world. As she prepares
for The Olympics, Jeff’s plans to scare her primary rival, Nancy Kerrigan, go
off track with Kerrigan attacked by an accomplice. Harding is dragged into the investigation and
media circus even as a chance at greatness is within her reach.
Robbie,
marvelous as Harding, is portrayed as the underdog, competing against more polished, refined skaters. How much did she know about the plot to
injure Kerrigan? The film’s conceit is that it lets the audience draw its own
conclusions although it seems to sympathize with its title character especially
when it shows her caught up in events beyond her control.
Visual
effects enhance the credible skating sequences which are imaginatively shot and
boldly edited. The film is self- assured
(directed by Craig Gillespie) and occasionally breaks the ‘fourth wall’.
This is a kind of American
tragedy with Harding’s pursuit of the American dream. Always
engaging with its perspectives, this film, while quite entertaining, should be
taken with a grain of salt. Robbie, though, as co-producer and star, is
proving herself to be a versatile actress (Suicide
Squad) and a force to watch in the future.
***1/2 of **** stars
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