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Some have questioned the making of a film about Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding and her \u2018crime\u2019, one that appears to give a platform for her side of the story about events leading to an attack on fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. Getting another perspective is always the power of cinema, so this is a welcome thing.<\/p>\n
What I, Tonya<\/em><\/a> really highlights is how such controversial events came to fruition and just how the cards were always stacked against Harding. That said it is not all-forgiving either. You will also realise after watching\u00a0why actors Margot Robbie<\/a> and Allison Janney<\/a> are deserved of all their awards nominations.<\/p>\n Based on a true story, Tonya Harding (Robbie) has always loved ice skating – it\u2019s the one thing she is good at in a generally miserable existence. Supported by a hard-nosed, alcoholic, single mother, LaVona (Janney), seemingly devoid of maternal instincts but working hard as a waitress to send her daughter to ice-skating lessons, Harding rises in the ranks to represent the U.S.A. in figure skating. However, Tonya\u2019s future is thrown into doubt when her abusive ex-husband, Jeff (Sebastian Stan<\/a>) intervenes in her career path.<\/p>\n Played out like a pseudo-documentary with characters speaking to camera \u2013 the fourth wall \u2013 and staged \u2018flashbacks\u2019, Craig Gillespie<\/a>\u2019s film, written for the screen by Steven Rogers<\/a>, has deliciously comic undertones that almost \u2018guilt-trip\u2019 you into sniggering at them. This is the blackest of comedies that places you right into the abusive domestic affray of Tonya\u2019s existence, and is sometimes \u2013 and quite surprisingly – an exhausting one to watch when you feel things might be changing for the better for our lead, only for them to come crashing down through outside intervention. Through lighter character traits and deadpan retorts, the sheer force of what you are experiencing gets defused.<\/p>\n Indeed, this film is a very physical one. It is about survival and does not shy away from portraying the physical and mental abuse of Tonya, in particular. Simultaneously, in an uncomfortable way too, it appears to \u2018patronise\u2019 those of lesser commonsense and social standing, so again, makes for unsettling viewing, even though the trailer might suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/I-tonya-janney.jpg\")
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