'I, Tonya' is a Vibrant Vindication of an Infamous Character in Skating History

It is all too common, in the world of public relations nightmares, for a figure to go down in history as “bidimensional”. To have one’s identity defined by some meltdown, some happening, or, as Craig Gillespie’s most recent work I, Tonya calls it, some “incident”, makes that figure inseparable from their own controversy. It doesn’t matter who supports them, it doesn’t matter who hates them, when a single incident takes hold of one’s life, they are remembered for it, and nothing else.

Tonya Harding is no exception. The latest black dramedy biopic, a crass, violent, visceral and deliberately touching look at the life of the infamous American figure skater, proves, if nothing else, Harding is far more than bidimensional. This is a story of abuse, perspective and the nature of sensationalist controversy, brought to the screen by the truly outstanding work of cinematographer Nicolas Karakatsanis and director Craig Gillespie. I, Tonya tackles the 1994 assault of fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, and the long history of events, relationships and predicaments that led to its fruition. The attack effectively ended Harding’s career, and despite Kerrigan going on to take silver in the following Olympics, it has continued to be regarded as one of the most heinous crimes in American sports history. The catch is, no official recounting of the attack detailing all of those involved has ever been fully brought to light. This film, based on a collection of interviews with Tonya Harding, her ex-husband and others, attempts to set the record straight(er).

Margot Robbie’s performance as the titular role is abrasive, alarmingly dedicated and, where needed, unexpectedly sensitive. As her character navigates the film, balancing the tumultuous relationships with her mother, LaVona Golden (Allison Janney) and her companion Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), while trying her absolute hardest to advance the only career in which she seems to have any shot at succeeding, the viewer is brought almost uncomfortably close to the  hardships she faced as a poor, ‘white trash’ American woman. The abuse she endures is astounding, and the film makes no attempt to deny its presence in her life. In portraying the brutality of Tonya's experiences without overdramaticising the emotional impact, the viewer is forced to live at that fast-paced, cutthroat and unapologetic rate she has hardly seemed able to escape from for her entire adult life. Neither glamorizing nor farcializing the violence, and adopting the "suck it up" tone that is time and time again stuffed down Harding’s throat makes the moments of rare vulnerability in the film all the more impactful. Often referred to as “the Goodfellas of figure skating”, the film is quick and consistent in breaking the fourth wall, utilizing the interview format to make continuous cuts back to ‘post-incident’ people, from those immediately involved to those like Martin Maddox (Bobby Cannavale), a journalist who covered the proceedings.

Visually, the film was stunning, and it would be a grave mistake to say that the film’s only focus was the interpersonal details of Harding’s life. Both in cinematography and in music, the film was highly performative. Margot Robbie’s extensive training prior to shooting allowed for a few impressive on-screen routines, culminating in Harding’s famous triple axel, which was achieved using visual effects. Though the score was a bit more unobtrusive than would be desirable for a biopic so dependent on spectacle, the soundtrack truly shines. A collection of modified classics, such as Joanie Sommers’ “Little Girl Bad” and timely classical ditties like one movement from Liszt’s “Dante Symphony”, each track heightens the story to a tonally seamless degree. Paired with excellent performances (Paul Walter Hauser’s lovable, rotund ‘espionage mastermind’ Shawn Eckardt is certainly a standout) and a witty script, the work is more than could be asked for from an entry of its genre. As for the truth, well if the film doesn’t convince you, you’ll have to ask Ms. Harding, Ms. Golden or Mr. Gillooly yourself. Careful though, any one of them are liable to bash your teeth in.