A white-knuckle ride, both on and off the rink.

So much to look at here. Exhilarating sequence design, from the breathtaking figure-skating recreations themselves, to the equally whirlwind camera work and production design of the dramatic scenes – wild swings from director Craig Gillespie.

Dazzling performers all: the always-amazing Allison Janney, Sebastian Stan, and of course Margot Robbie‘s Tonya Harding – textured and endearing off the rink, powerful and riveting on the rink.

The ludicrousness of the personalities (including the unreliable narrator, breaking the fourth wall to comment on the unreliable visuals) is foiled by the very visceral violence, both physical and emotional. While the film’s trailer perhaps suggests a more outrageous / black comedy tone for the film overall, it feels important while in the film for its darker moments to be handled in more sober, even sombre, ways.

It’s a white-knucke ride, both on and off the rink. I, Tonya is a whirlwind that you kind of need to just let yourself get swept up in, otherwise you start asking too many questions, about both the story and the storytelling, which threaten to tip over the whole experience – one that’s worth at least having, even if its “enjoyment” isn’t untroubled.

Further Viewing

I, Tonya‘s choreographer talks through the recreation of the figure skater’s infamous routine (via Vanity Fair):

Slate looks at how I, Tonya, along with fellow historical sports film Battle of the Sexes (2017), manage to get their sports to look right:

The painstaking recreation of Tonya Harding’s real-life routines is laid bare in this side-by-side comparison (via ClipStation and Eu Cinemando):

Before I, Tonya, Craig Gillespie directed Ryan Gosling in the unusual and unexpectedly lovely Lars and the Real Girl (2007):