I, Tonya

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%. (2018-08-10)

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. (2018-07-01)

Every year you think there cannot be another Olympic story you don’t know yet and still the creators always dig up something new. However, the figure skater Tonya Harding did not have a life story that one should brag about. On the other hand, it is so unbelievable that it would be a shame if we didn’t learn more about it. The film was lucky as it got creators who filmed it truly authentically. For example, you will not recognize Margot Robbie at all. She turned from a pretty actress into an American small-town bitch who loves figure skating and everything else bothers her. The fact that her husband beats her here and there won’t stop her from being famous one day, right? However, the human stupidity can stop her, and I have to say that I wouldn’t be able to invent a more interesting story of an Olympic athlete. The second half of the movie was truly unbelievable. I was just bating my breath while watching how far a person can go. (2018-01-20)

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. (2018-03-04)

Quite an interesting story of Tonya Harding, and the only reason I watched the film is because I like sports dramas where the underdog kicks everyone’s asses. The opening met my expectations and I wanted to praise the excellent Tilda Swinton as the mother, but now I realise it was actually Allison Janney, well never mind she was perfect and to remove her after half an hour is a reprehensible mistake. That's like someone removing J.K. Simmons from Whiplash, without him the film definitely wouldn't have gotten the recognition it has now. As for Tonya herself, unfortunately there's not much skating, the rivalry is mostly nonexistent and she performs the same tricks over and over. The film focuses more on her personal life and her relationship with her husband, which at times was reminiscent of The War of the Roses, but I wasn't really interested in that. Pros: Margot Robbie and Allison Janney both solid, an interesting story. Cons: slow pace, humour only in the first 30 minutes then absent, lack of skating and o an intense finale like in Borg vs. McEnroe, for example. 6/10. (2021-02-23)