An Astonishing Story Expertly Told

Rating: 9/10 (3 May 2020)

I had no knowledge at all of Tonya Harding. No idea about the incident, her career, what happened to her etc, and boy is it a gripping story. I was hooked. What a tragic and bizarre story and series of events. If, like me, you have no knowledge of Tonya I'd encourage you to just dive right in without any prior research to keep you on your toes.
The way that the story was told was very clever. It presented the events, interspersed with fictionalised interviews and fourth wall breaks. What the film really does well is to cast ambiguity over everything. Tonya is the definition of an unreliable narrator, and throughout the film you will find yourself reaching for that bag of salt on many occasions. You're never 100% sure if what happened is over exaggerated in Tonya's head or whether its a complete fabrication, which makes for a compelling experience. I'd describe the story as rather Shakespearean, in that its ultimately a tragedy but with many elements of farce and black comedy.
Margot Robbie was phenomenal as Tonya and may well have won the Oscar had she not been up against an incredibly strong field. There was so much depth to her performance, expertly presenting the varying layers of Tonya's personality and character. Her and Sebastian had such great chemistry (or lack of it I suppose), and the way that the two of them were able to recreate their complex and toxic relationship was incredible. Allison Janney put in a transformative performance as Tonya's hardened mother, and was a scene stealer whenever she was on screen.
The soundtrack was crafted with great care and used to great effect throughout the film, which didn't go unnoticed. I just loved the atmosphere that it created.
This was just such a great film. Cast, story, direction, script, soundtrack all on point. One of the best biopics I've seen in recent times!