'I, Tonya' A Review

I, Tonya is a biopic about Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding- her childhood struggles, quick ascension, troubled marriage, and the 1994 attack on Nancy Kerrigan which, by her implication, ended Harding's career. The film has a relatively straightforward liner timeline punctuated by mockumentary style interviews(based on actual archival interviews) as well as periodic breaking of the fourth wall and voice over narration. The film follows Tonya as a little girl with her interests in hunting and mechanics juxtaposed with her passion and talent for skating. A tumultuous and abusive relationship with her mother also develops. As she gets older her ambition grows and she struggles to fulfill her dream- winning gold at the Olympics- battling an abusive husband, economic prejudice, and self-doubt.

Robbie as the titular Tonya gives the best performance of her career, certainly helps that it is the meatiest and she appears as a producer on the film. Robbie attacks the role with a frenetic energy that imbues the character with a truth and an authentic magnetic vitality that brought the real world athlete fame and then infamy. Sebastian Stan as the meek but abusive, controlling but milquetoast Gillooly also puts in a career high turn, again not because of lack of talent but of opportunity. The third big presence in the film and the big supporting role is Tonya's mother played by Allison Janney. In a year filled with great complicated mothers Janney may take a back seat to Metcaff in Lady Bird and McDormand in Three Billboards but in any other year this performance would be singularly compelling and horrifying. The film starts off with a dark but overtly comic tone but over the course of the run time these three are able to maintain the humor but also provide some incredibly compelling emotional dimension as well as do justice to this American Legend with a refreshing lack of judgement. The poverty and abuse that we see Tonya grow up in is played so casually(and truthfully) it hits hard and provides a context that the media and history have here-to-for not given Harding.

The cinematic flourishes like the occasion direct addresses don't always work and gradually fade out as the movie progresses but even so its refreshing that the attempt is made. In our current cinematic landscape there is a lot of sameness especially in editing and construction. And so the breaking of the fourth wall, the interviews, the narration in a way echo the vitality and rebellious spirit of its subject. Not always successful but unique.

Tonya Harding's involvement in what the film dubs "the incident" is mostly irrelevant in the context of the film. What I, Tonya does is it allows Tonya Harding- an American Olympian- to be seen as human for what is seemingly the first time. And the context and consideration the film provides is not only entertaining but is decidedly moving.

Don't Miss It.