Review: "I, Tonya" is a Pulpy, Fun Sports Movie

Margot Robbie

Thanks to films like Rocky, the idea of the sports movie has come to represent a certain type of underdog; someone who exceeds against an oppressive society. Even if that's the case, few people were as primed against this structure quite like Tonya Harding - now infamous for an incident regarding Nancy Kerrigan. She has become the butt of countless jokes since, ruining her reputation as an excellent figure skater. With that in mind, director Craig Gillespie has decided to explore the truth behind the tragedy in the comedy I, Tonya. It's a film that manages to explore her background and her struggles to be taken seriously. In that way, it's a typical sports movie. However, it's more vulgar than your Million Dollar Babies. It's a unique journey that is as off-putting as it is fascinating.

The "I, Tonya" Captures a Notorious Moment in Olympics History with Cattiness

Scene from I, Tonya

The presence of sports figures in everyday life are inevitable. There are a few that stand out as being excellent at their craft, turning it into a physical art form. However, there are those few who are remembered for the opposite reasons. Journeyman director Craig Gillespie has made a movie called I, Tonya, which chronicles the infamous career of Tonya Harding and the one event that made her a staple in Olympics history. The first teaser shows just how trashy and petty a movie about Harding should be. It doesn't give much, but it does have a ferocity that captures a potential Best Actress nominee in Margot Robbie. If nothing else, she sure looks the part.

Review: "August: Osage County" Has a Lot of Great Performances... and Meryl Streep

Left to right: Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Nicholson

The appeal of director John Wells' August: Osage County is that it pits many talented actresses against each other in a fight over family dysfunction through varying generations. Lead by Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, this adaptation of the Tracey Letts' play is an effective slice of drama that lets characters shine and even tear into each other with a vibrant, hostile script that makes one hot weekend in Osage County into a pivotal point in the Weston family's life. It may at times suffer from overacting, but at its core, it is an engrossing family case study.