I, Tonya (5 Stars)

After having been a member of various film groups I'm used to being asked what sort of films I like. That's an awkward question which I've never been able to answer. The only honest answer I can give is "I like good films", which must be frustrating for anyone who takes the trouble to ask me the question. It sounds like I'm evading the answer, which I'm not. It sounds like I've never given any thought to what sort of films I like, which definitely isn't true. Worst of all, that answer makes it sound like I know nothing about films. It's the sort of answer my father would have given, and he really did know nothing about films.

Some people say they like horror films. That makes it easy to pigeonhole them. It's a statement that I've heard from group members so often that it sounds trite. It's even more common for people to say they don't like horror films, although people who say that usually have a limited idea of what horror films are.

If you want to know what sort of films I like, go through my blog and look for films with a five star rating. But I'll try to generalise anyway. I'll start with the negative terms. I can't say in general terms that I dislike any particular film genre, although there are certain types of films that I don't usually watch. I don't watch sports films, especially boxing films. I don't usually watch children's films. I don't usually watch period films, by which I mean films set in previous centuries in which rich people wear extravagant clothing. On the positive side. I do like to watch horror films and sci-fi films, although there are many films in both genres that I dislike after seeing them once. I have a particular leaning towards true stories.

These positive and negative guidelines only determine whether I give a film a chance and watch it in the first place. They don't say what I really like. To be good, a film has to have an interesting plot. It doesn't have to be original. In recent years a lot of emphasis has been put on plot twists (which usually happen near the end of a film), but it doesn't bother me at all if a film has a predictable ending. To be good, a film has to have well defined characters that I feel I know intimately by half way through the film. Maybe the supporting characters can remain vague, but the main characters, especially the bad guy, have to be well described by their words and actions. To be good, a film has to be logical, i.e. it has to make sense within the parameters of its genre.

Normally, I would never have watched a film about ice skating. It's not a sport that appeals to me. I only watched "I, Tonya" for two reasons: (1) it's a true story, and (2) it stars Margot Robbie, one of my favourite actresses.

I'm glad I watched it. I still remember when I first saw it in the cinema. It drew me in straight away. Margot Robbie made me fall in love with Tonya Harding. I wanted to take her in my arms and hug her. The film's style also won me over. It's a mixture of narrative and fake interviews, which aren't always clearly separated. Frequently, in the middle of a scene a character will turn to the camera and address the viewer. I'm sure that this is something film school students are told not to do, but any rule can be broken if it's done well.

The film is based on eye witness reports, but the leading characters have contradicted one another about what happened 20 to 30 years ago. Maybe they've forgotten, maybe they're lying. The film doesn't judge them. When something happens that is disputed, one of the characters jumps in and says "That never happened". This makes the film a lot more realistic.

"I, Tonya" is a film I like. I call on all of my friends to have an open mind when it comes to films. I know that each year too many films are made for you to possibly watch them all, especially if you want to go back and watch your favourite films repeatedly. Don't limit yourself to one genre. You can find good films anywhere, even in unexpected places. 

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