The dark comedy centers on the life and career of the infamous Olympic figure skater, who fell from grace after the attack on fellow competitor Nancy Kerrigan. I, Tonya presents a stylized (and often comedic) approach to staging the story behind the disgraced sportswoman’s societally coded image, including her abusive relationships with her parrot-loving mother, LaVonda Golden (Allison Janney), and husband, Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan).
I, Tonya is framed using present day “interviews” with its subjects as they recount their different point of views of how the events just went down. It’s mixing of Rashomon-style narrative approach, an endless supply of needle-dropping songs, and performances that are matched by the film’s unstoppable momentum will make I, Tonya a standout this winter season.
Check out the first trailer for I, Tonya below:
The film has been gaining traction since its world debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is poised for Robbie and company to take it all the way to awards season. Robbie just earned a Gotham Award nomination (no ties to the Caped Crusader), while Allison Janney’s performance as her abusive mother, who steals almost every scene she’s in, is also generating a lot of buzz. It should also be said that Sebastian Stan really gets to show his acting chops in this as Harding’s manipulative, yet moronic, boyfriend.
Directed by Lars And The Real Girl and Fright Night‘s Craig Gillespie and written by Stepmom‘s Steven Rogers. The irony should not be lost on many Marvel fans that a man named Steve Rogers wrote a movie for Bucky Barnes.
I, Tonya opens in theaters on December 8th.
Images: Neon
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