There are a lot of good things about this movie but there are too many things that just aren't right for it to be considered a 'good' film. It is a sort of bizarre mashup of Spinal Tap and Monster and sits uneasily between absurd comedy and drama. Is violence against women, and this isn't cartoon violence because it actually happened to Kerrigan and Harding, really stuff we can mine for laughs?

I also felt uneasy about the sneering at the American underclass represented by many of the characters. There is something elitist about this stuff, and, given that this sort of elitism is spotlighted in the movie itself, it seems perverse the movie itself engages in 'let's laugh at the white trash'.

And what are we to make of the incongruous soundtrack, filled as it is with songs from the 70s and 80s, when the events take place in the 90s? Are we supposed to giggle at the irony that these people are so backward even the soundtrack of their lives is out of date? This really is hamfisted stuff and it DESERVES criticism.

The SFX and cinematography were good. There are some fine acting performances. Just a pity about the patronising tone.

@Jacinto Cupboard said:

There are a lot of good things about this movie but there are too many things that just aren't right for it to be considered a 'good' film. It is a sort of bizarre mashup of Spinal Tap and Monster and sits uneasily between absurd comedy and drama. Is violence against women, and this isn't cartoon violence because it actually happened to Kerrigan and Harding, really stuff we can mine for laughs?

I also felt uneasy about the sneering at the American underclass represented by many of the characters. There is something elitist about this stuff, and, given that this sort of elitism is spotlighted in the movie itself, it seems perverse the movie itself engages in 'let's laugh at the white trash'.

And what are we to make of the incongruous soundtrack, filled as it is with songs from the 70s and 80s, when the events take place in the 90s? Are we supposed to giggle at the irony that these people are so backward even the soundtrack of their lives is out of date? This really is hamfisted stuff and it DESERVES criticism.

The SFX and cinematography were good. There are some fine acting performances. Just a pity about the patronising tone.

I wonder if the tone you're describing was a deliberate decision, because that's very much how Tonya was framed in the media when all of this was going down: she was poor white trash, Nancy Kerrigan was pure, good, and "rich" (although apparently she wasn't actually that wealthy). It was good for ratings and newspaper sales to frame their "relationship" in this way. I highly recommend watching the 30 for 30 documentary The Price of Gold about Harding and Kerrigan.

I think this film did a lot to humanize Tonya Harding. Plenty to laugh at with her sharp-tongued mother and the bumbling idiots who orchestrated the attack on Kerrigan, but enough moments showing her as an abused, desperate person to make me genuinely feel bad for her.

This was easily the best film I've seen in a decade.

@Jacinto Cupboard said:

There are a lot of good things about this movie but there are too many things that just aren't right for it to be considered a 'good' film. It is a sort of bizarre mashup of Spinal Tap and Monster and sits uneasily between absurd comedy and drama. Is violence against women, and this isn't cartoon violence because it actually happened to Kerrigan and Harding, really stuff we can mine for laughs?

I also felt uneasy about the sneering at the American underclass represented by many of the characters. There is something elitist about this stuff, and, given that this sort of elitism is spotlighted in the movie itself, it seems perverse the movie itself engages in 'let's laugh at the white trash'.

And what are we to make of the incongruous soundtrack, filled as it is with songs from the 70s and 80s, when the events take place in the 90s? Are we supposed to giggle at the irony that these people are so backward even the soundtrack of their lives is out of date? This really is hamfisted stuff and it DESERVES criticism.

The SFX and cinematography were good. There are some fine acting performances. Just a pity about the patronising tone.

I don't think it really mocked her class. She just seemed poor. The mother had no class but that was irrespective of how poor they were. She was just a weirdo. I think they made the judges look snooty. Margaret Robbie seemed to portray Tony in a sympathetic manner. I don't think she was 100% innocent and besides the scene where she says that her competitor looked like she had sat in poop (or was it walked?), she was pretty tame.

@SpaceBound said:

I didn't really have any expectations as I had no idea who Tonya Harding was, but what a ride. I've never seen Margot Robbie in anything other than Suicide Squad, so it's great to see she can act in more than one dimension.

Comparatively Call Me By Your Name was a bore and so I'll be miffed if it becomes more rewarded this.

I loved this movie I couldn't believe how good it ended up being. I had only seen Margot in Suicide Squad as well and she was so fantastic as Tonya Harding! I really hope she wins the award.

I finally got to see this a few days ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. I absolutely loved it.

I didn't start watching figure skating until several years after this, so I never really knew much about what had happened. My mom, however, remembers the story vividly and refuses to watch it based on how the news portrayed Tonya.

The acting was fantastic and I was never taken out of the story by the special effects. Everything looked so realistic. And I loved the soundtrack, though I wish it had aged along with the times.

@evila_elf said:

I finally got to see this a few days ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. I absolutely loved it.

I didn't start watching figure skating until several years after this, so I never really knew much about what had happened. My mom, however, remembers the story vividly and refuses to watch it based on how the news portrayed Tonya.

The acting was fantastic and I was never taken out of the story by the special effects. Everything looked so realistic. And I loved the soundtrack, though I wish it had aged along with the times.

The music was great in this! I had no idea until after I watched that they used special effects so yes they did a great job at that.

@jingles173 said:

@evila_elf said:

I finally got to see this a few days ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. I absolutely loved it.

I didn't start watching figure skating until several years after this, so I never really knew much about what had happened. My mom, however, remembers the story vividly and refuses to watch it based on how the news portrayed Tonya.

The acting was fantastic and I was never taken out of the story by the special effects. Everything looked so realistic. And I loved the soundtrack, though I wish it had aged along with the times.

The music was great in this! I had no idea until after I watched that they used special effects so yes they did a great job at that.

The CGI was the one flaw in this movie for me - from the first time we see Tonya the adult skating, with Margot's face obviously CGI'd on, I found it mildly distracting. Not enough to spoil this amazing movie though.

This one takes some dramatic license, but yes, a must see.

@Jacinto Cupboard said:

There are a lot of good things about this movie but there are too many things that just aren't right for it to be considered a 'good' film. It is a sort of bizarre mashup of Spinal Tap and Monster and sits uneasily between absurd comedy and drama. Is violence against women, and this isn't cartoon violence because it actually happened to Kerrigan and Harding, really stuff we can mine for laughs?

I also felt uneasy about the sneering at the American underclass represented by many of the characters. There is something elitist about this stuff, and, given that this sort of elitism is spotlighted in the movie itself, it seems perverse the movie itself engages in 'let's laugh at the white trash'.

And what are we to make of the incongruous soundtrack, filled as it is with songs from the 70s and 80s, when the events take place in the 90s? Are we supposed to giggle at the irony that these people are so backward even the soundtrack of their lives is out of date? This really is hamfisted stuff and it DESERVES criticism.

The SFX and cinematography were good. There are some fine acting performances. Just a pity about the patronising tone.

Looks like I'm in the minority here but I have to agree with everything you've said. Even if Tonya was like how she's portrayed in this, it seemed to dehumanise her rather than the opposite. If there was a more serious tone than you would feel more empthy about her upbringing and abusive life, but this seemed to just mock that.

Really good acting though from everyone.