Margot Robbie, who is known for portraying questionable characters almost too well, portrays former figure skater who fell from grace, Tonya Harding, in I, Tonya. Directed by Craig Gillespie from Lars and the Real Girl, it won over the attendees of the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Neon picked it up for $5 million and has plans on seeing it through awards season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_weoC3HT6Q
Tonya Harding, in real life, came from a troubled background and worked her way to the top as an amazing figure skater. She competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics. Harding’s reputation took a nosedive when her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, was attacked and injured. She was accused of being behind the plot, along with her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt, and someone names Shane Slant. Kerrigan was hit in the knee with a baton, which triggered a huge media storm. Harding became an outcast from the event.
The teaser trailer that was released shows Robbie in what looks like a regular “underdog rises to the top” story, until the darkness begins. She skates at her very best, triple axel and all, to win over the audience with her mother watching and cheering her on. We soon see Slant taking out his baton, followed by flashing police lights, and Robbie being hounded by the press in a very unglamorous way.
The last thing the teaser shows is Robbie’s voiceover as she laments about “haters” hounding her to find the truth, but she adamantly states “There’s no such thing as truth, I mean it’s bulls–t.” All of the contrast involved with different portions of Harding’s story makes for a very real and poignant realization of circumstances creating nightmare and monsters alike.
This role goes along with other endeavors Robbie has done. Talented as she is, critics have called her out, claiming that she chose this role because ugly wins Oscars, and this surely is an ugly role to play.
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