Daniel Day-Lewi’s comeback to Hollywood has been branded as ‘truly horrible’ by critics as the esteemed actor returned to the screen in a film directed by his son
Daniel Day-Lewis‘ comeback to Hollywood has been branded as ‘truly horrible’ by critics. The legendary actor, 68, made a name for himself over the years with Academy Award-winning roles in My left Foot, There Will Be Blood and Lincoln but announced his retirement from the business in 2017.
Coaxed back into the industry by his son Ronan, who had written and directed the new film Anemone, the actor made a surprise comeback with his starring role in the psychological drama. The father-and-son duo wrote the script together, and Anemone follows the actor as a man who has to deal with all sorts of secrets coming to light when he crosses paths with his estranged brother.
But despite being headed up by one of the most famous actors in the world, reviews have already blasted the new film as one reviewer remarked that it was the first time the Hollywood star had made a negative film.
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In a recent review from the San Francisco Chronicle, one critic wrote: “Daniel Day-Lewis has emerged from retirement to do something he has never done before – make a truly horrible movie.”
“For “Anemone, he wrote the screenplay himself, in collaboration with his son Ronan. And then, as if to ensure that no ameliorating outside influence could penetrate, he had Ronan direct the film, too.
Despite this, some critics have warmed to the performances of Day-Lewis and Sean Bean in the picture, even though they agreed that the film itself was not up to scratch. .
Critic Monica Castillo said: “Day-Lewis and Bean are excellent – their previous work can attest the men are practically incapable of turning in a bad performance – but the film’s writing and direction leave much to be desired.”
The Oscar winner announced after the release of Phantom Thread in 2017 that he would be stepping away from the profession.
Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Day-Lewis recently said: “I would have done well to just keep my mouth shut, for sure.
“It just seems like such grandiose gibberish to talk about. I never intended to retire, really. I just stopped doing that particular type of work so I could do some other work. Apparently, I’ve been accused of retiring twice now. I never meant to retire from anything! I just wanted to work on something else for a while.”
A spokesperson for the star at the time said: “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years.”
But explaining further in the more recent interview, he added: “The work was always something I loved. I never, ever stopped loving the work. But there were aspects of the way of life that went with it that I’d never come to terms with — from the day I started out to today. There’s something about that process that left me feeling hollowed out at the end of it.
“I was well acquainted with it. I understood that it was all part of the process, and that there would be a regeneration eventually. And it was only really in the last experience [making Phantom Thread ] that I began to feel quite strongly that maybe there wouldn’t be that regeneration anymore. That I just probably should just keep away from it, because I didn’t have anything else to offer.”
Psychological drama Anemone is set for release October 3
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