It may be overlong – and ‘the incident’ forms only a small part of the whole – but director Craig Gillespie highlights the eccentricities in the life story of US competitive ice-skater Tonya Harding. Importantly, he choses to laugh more with the characters than at them.
From the wrong side of the tracks, Harding (a confident, Oscar-nominated Margot Robbie) was abused by her mother (a magnificent out-of-character Allison Janney) and husband (an almost unrecognisable Sebastian Stan, the Captain America trilogy). Yet she rose to number one in the world and represented the US at two winter Olympics. But Harding is best remembered for her involvement in the attack on fellow ice-skater, Nancy Kerrigan.
It’s a tragic story and this black comedy tells it well. How much Harding knew is left in the air as Gillespie explores the issues of class and the nature of truth in this entertaining sports movie.
Nominated for 3 Oscars in 2018 (best actress, editing), won 1 (supporting actress – Allison Janney).
Rating: 65%
Director: Craig Gillespie (Lars & the Real Girl, The Finest Hours)
Writer: Steven Rogers (Kate & Leopold, Hope Floats)
Main cast: Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad, The Wolf of Wall Street), Allison Janney (Spy, The Girl on the Train), Sebastian Stan (Captain America: Civil War, Ricki and the Flash)
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