I, Tonya, another Golden Globes awarded movie (best performance by an actress in a supporting role for Allison Janney) has just been released. The film offers an original point of view on a story that shook the USA in the 1990’s: the true story of Tonya Harding, a former star of ice-skating.
The film relates the journey of Tonya Harding, a young woman born in the poor neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon in the 1970’s. Tonya (McKenna Grace) has always wanted to become a professional ice-skater, and her mother (Allison Janney) supports her strongly, as she has very high expectations for her daughter. Soon, Tonya differentiates herself from the others thanks to her talent, but also thanks to her pugnacity that borders aggressiveness. Tonya’s mother indeed influences her to be sometimes cruel towards her competitors. In addition, she constantly drinks and beats her daughter so that this latter does not get too tender. The habit to be beaten follows Tonya (now interpreted by Margot Robbie) until she becomes an adult, as her husband, Jeff (Sebastian Stan), is a very violent man as well. The misfortunes of her private life will impact her career, so much so that it compromises her selection as a member of the American team for the Olympic Games of Lillehammer of 1994. Influenced by a death threat that Tonya received, Jeff and his friend Shawn decide to influence the fate of Tonya by incapacitating her biggest rival. The events quickly get out of hand and their actions might tarnish Tonya’s already glooming reputation.
An original approach
The film dares to take an original approach for a biopic as it addresses the story from a comedic angle, rather than a dramatic one. The story itself is very interesting as it approaches captivating themes: excelling oneself, rivalry and toxic relationships; and explores what makes a great athlete: a tremendous dedication to one’s passion or being moral and fair play. The fact that the movie is a comedy makes it less stodgy, pretentious and depressing that it could have been if it was a drama. Consequently, the film has the merit of making Tonya seems very human while revealing the most sordid part of her story.
A meticulous reconstitution
The biggest quality of the movie is its meticulousness regarding the reconstitution of the places, the costumes and the characters. Each actor/actress is perfect in his/her role, and the make-up and the costumes make them really resemble the characters they play. Allison Janney is especially impressing and unrecognizable in her role of the very severe and politically incorrect mother of Tonya. It is almost regrettable that her character does not have more screen presence. Tonya’s costumes and choreographies are incredible as well. They really look like the original ones, and consequently plunges the spectators in the ambiance of the movie.
Do what I said, not what I do
Unfortunately for I, Tonya, the list of its qualities stops here. Despite a thrilling story, an original point of view, a faithful reconstitution and qualified actors, the movie does not bring anything really interesting on this story. It does not really lack of quality, but rather suffers from a gigantic default: it is an abject movie. Indeed, the film does exactly what it criticizes. It desires to be a caustic critique of the American entertainment, of its hypocrisy and of its consequences on the individuals put in the spotlight. Thus, in its very good last fifteen minutes, it offers a captivating reflexion on how the American pubic loves to adore its national heroes, before transforming them in monsters thirsty for attention, to finally abandon them cruelly. The film criticizes how these people turn stupidity, meanness and sordid stories into a spectacle. But, that is what it does too! By accentuating the lack of education and the dumbness of Tonya and those who are close to her, I, Tonya transforms the dramatic Harding’s story into a sketchy joke. The cinematography is grandiose during Tonya’s performances on ice, while it becomes banal when it depicts the young woman’s everyday life. This use of the cinematography reinforces the impression that the movie expresses disdain regarding Tonya’s popular origins.
A failed dark-comedy
The comedic format of the film strengthens this observation. It is probably not the goal of the movie, but it seems to make fun of Tonya, of her husband and of their friend by pointing out their vile and rash aspect. The movie could have been an incredible dark comedy if it had settled for making fun of the situation rather than of its characters. Indeed, the film ends up by artificially analysing its protagonist with condescension. The film could also have been epic if it had really focused on the subjects it only skims. Some scenes, like the one where Tonya faces her reflection in a mirror just before her last Olympic performance, or the one at the tribunal are genial and extremely touching, because they approach what the rest of the movie ignores: the love/hate feelings Tonya has towards ice-skating. Rather than an artistic bet, the decision to make a comedy out of this subject appears as a strategy to ensure the movie with a maximum of awards. Indeed, most of the awards ceremonies differentiate comedy and drama in two different categories, and as a drama, I, Tonya would not have stood a chance against more serious competitors.
A fake neutrality
Additionally, I, Tonya uses sequences of fake interviews to tell its story. The actors also address the camera directly from time to time, to reinforce the subjectivity of the movie and its comical aspect. But by making its protagonist discuss this sensitive case, I, Tonya indicates clearly that what is said in the movie only reflects Tonya, Jeff, Mrs. Harding and Shawn’s perceptions of the drama. The film even goes further, by showing a version of the facts where Tonya is the real culprit of the crime her husband is accused for, so that it does not let any theory aside. This decision to avoid producing a true opinion while suggesting all the possible options aims to provide the movie with neutrality. However, the film actually judges its heroin and treats her in a condescending way. Therefore, this effort to appear neutral is just like the rest of the movie: abject and hypocrite.
I, Tonya could have been a magnificent film about excelling oneself and about the difficulty to handle fame. In the end, its approach is original but really hypocrite and fatalist. The performances of each of the main actors are to be remembered, but the rest of the movie is to forget, if you are able to get over the irritation that such hypocrisy caused.
