MINA'S MOVIE REVIEWS: I, TONYA
I, Tonya
Margot Robbie is my home-girl. I absolutely love her, I think she's one of the greatest things to come out of Australia and also Rebel Wilson.
Margot has thrilled us with provocative performances in The Wolf on Wall Street and Suicide Squad, but I, Tonya takes her athletic talents and Brooklyn accent to another level. Margot is now not only a skilled gymnast, tattoo artist and under-water-breath-holder, she's practically an Olympic level figure skater too. Apparently training five hours a day six days a week, the limits this girl can reach seem endless. Having grown up in almost the same location, and as Margot self-proclamations of being a 'bogan', I feel Australia's rough and rousey culture is what makes Margot perfect for these roles.
However, I never in my life thought anyone could make Margot look 'frumpy' but I was wrong.
In addition to being a fan of my homegrown actress, I am exceptionally familiar with the series of events surrounding Tonya Harding and the 1994 Olympic scandal and Tonya's performances as figure skating is one of the only sports I pay attention to. Every performance was an exact copy of Tonya's performances. The final performance some lines were shifted for convenience but every shot of the performance, costuming and every movement of Robbie's echoed the strength and prowess of Tonya Harding.
One of the best parts of the movie was that we were presented with unreliable narrators, as opinions on the events differ, it's as objective as it can be. Craig Gillespie is very talented in changing scene, shot or voice over and using black humour to demonstrate these varying sides. Alongside Robbie is Allison Janney who delivers a ripping performance as LaVona Fay Golden, as Tonya Harding’s mother. Much of the story revolves around Tonya's childhood training and borderline-abusive mother but subsequently the abuse and threats Tonya received from her estranged husband, the film gives the viewer interesting insight into her life. Together, the acting, narrative style and the quality of Margot's athletic performance make I, Tonya a must see.