Movie Review: "I, Tonya" (2017)

Tweet

Seeing as I am still in the mode of sports movies that are really more about dysfunctional relationships, I bring you my review of 2017's "I,Tonya", dealing with the 1994 scandal between Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding preceding the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. I am a fan of figure skating, and I was 12 in 1994 so I actually do remember the real event. Incase you are fuzzy about it - US. Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted by being smashed in the knee prior to the Olympics. What came to light rather quickly was that either fellow Olympic skater, Tonya Harding or someone in her camp - was behind the assault. This movie deals with Tonya's story. Tonya's poor background and demanding and often times abusive mother shaped her young life. Falling in love young , we are left to believe that perhaps Tonya can escape by marrying Jeff Gillooly, but quickly we see that her marriage dissolves into the same abusive patterns that her childhood did. Beatings and being chased around with loaded weapons scatter through Tonya's troubled marriage. Things were also not easy for Tonya on the ice. In spite of having skated since she was 4 and being wildly talented - the ice skating judges didn't appreciate Tonya's style or life, much preferring the more cultured skaters who came from peaceful families. (In my opinion they should judge performance and not the person... but....) Interestingly enough this movie is shot with the actors frequently breaking the 4th wall - where the actor looks into the camera and addresses the audience directly. After particularly violent scenes the actors portraying either Tonya, or Jeff will come on - and say into the camera things like "according to me, that never happened" - so that each side of the story is told. If we believe the message of the movie - the attack on Kerrigan was thought up by Gillooly and a friend - and pinned on Tonya. If that is true - we may never know... This was an enjoyable movie - with plenty of skating, but again, like "Foxcatcher" deals with troubled relationships as much as it deals with the sport itself. Margot Robbie is excellent as Tonya and hard to believe she will be playing a much different role as Barbie coming up shortly.