fun movie about abuse and idiots

Rating: 8/10 (3 October 2019)

While I, Tonya offers a sympathetic portrayal of the disgraced Olympian, one should note that it is *her* sympathetic portrayal. The movie is based on interviews with Tonya and her ex and plays with the unreliable narrator; at one point Tonya shoots at her hubby, then turns to the camera and says she never did such a thing.
In spite of those moments, overall the movie does take Tonya's side, chiding her for never taking responsibility yet ultimately portraying her as caught in a cycle of abuse. While this abuse is often gasp-inducing, for the most part the movie has a breezy, humorous tone, taking great delight in its idiot-rogues.
Victim Nancy Kerrigan gets short shrift here. I read an article suggesting she should be rehabilitated as well from her undeserved "ice princess" reputation, but that's unlikely to happen. Whatever her level of complicity, Tonya is a fascinating character, and this movie offers an intriguing look at figure skating's bad girl.