I, Tonya

I had zero expectations going into this as not much is known about the movie except for the cast - and obviously the story as it was a huge news event in the 90s - but it turned out to be a wildly entertaining albeit flawed biopic. The film settled on a style and tone that falls somewhere around the Coen brothers territory, but also gave me Christopher Guest vibes with its talking head moments and Paul Thomas Anderson level soundtrack use. It had a lot of cinematic elements, but overall it's a s…

Fantastic feel-good story with an anti-establishment vibe. The movie challenges your interpretation of the events at the time, and has several sobering moments (oj news coverage, tonya spitting blood). Also funny as all get out.

Gimly

March 9, 2018

6/10

With the Oscars only a week away and the 2018 Winter Olympics on right now, it seemed like the appropriate time to finally watch _I, Tonya_, the movie for which lead Margot Robbie has received her first "Best Actress" Academy Award nomination. 2017 has had a lot of biopics, and a good number of those garnered awards buzz/consideration, and for all of them, I had (to varying degrees) the same complaint: They're to much about the "what" and not enough about the "who". _I, Tonya_ bucks that tren…

Nathan

July 16, 2022

9/10

_I, Tonya_ is a fun and interesting biopic. Margot Robbie is fantastic in almost every role she does, and that is no different here. I absolutely loved her as Tonya, although there were a few times her Harley Quinn voice snuck in there but it worked. Julianne Nicholson was great as Tonya's mom, she had this cold a gruel demeanor that was very sharp and funny. Sebastian Stan is excellent, the raw anger and emotion he demonstrated was captivating. For a supposed comedy biopic I did not laugh all t…

The Movie Mob

November 23, 2022

7/10

**I, Tonya is an intriguing biopic told in a fresh, unique way that most any cinephile can appreciate.** Director, Craig Gillespie, took a wild, unbelievable true story and told it with a brilliant frenetic, crazed energy that emphasized I, Tonya’s insane tale all the more. The documentary-style interviews further delved into the deranged psyche of its characters trusting the story to unreliable narrators forcing the audience to question every moment. I loved the hypothetical or dream sequenc…

CinemaSerf

December 30, 2024

7/10

Though top billing must go to an athletic and convincing Margot Robbie and to Sebastian Stan, I thought Allison Janney was superb in this drama about the rise and very public downfall of Tonya Harding. She's the mother (LaVona) who drives, quite ruthlessly, her young daughter to excellence on this ice rink - whether she wants to skate or not. Rink-side with a cigarette never far from her mouth, she swears, threatens, coaxes and cajoles to turn this girl into a young woman (Robbie) who has the po…