As with many of my most anticipated films of the year, 'I, Tonya' had a promising trailer that made me want to see it and an interesting cast, the accolades (wins and nominations) and generally positive word of mouth were just as encouraging. Not to mention that it was based on a fascinating true-life person, Tonya Harding, with an equally fascinating and infamous story.

'I, Tonya' was entertaining and well done with a lot of great qualities, but somehow it felt uneven to me and like something was missing. Can totally see what people see in it, due to absolutely agreeing with what has been singled out as especially good, but it could have done more with such a great subject to work from and does fall short of being one of my favourites of the year.

Starting with the faults, the CGI for the ice skating sequences (which were otherwise very well choreographed and both witty and graceful) was both not necessary and distracting, as well as not being particularly good.

There should have been much more focus on the Nancy Kerrigan story, that is what made Harding infamous and it was a shame that nowhere near the amount of attention that went into Harding's rise and struggles went into this aspect, which featured nowhere near enough and was under-explored. Likewise with Kerrigan herself.

Also found the montage of Harding's abuse by her mother rather crass. Childhood abuse is a very serious and hard-hitting subject, to see it for my tastes trivialised and not taken seriously (instead played for laughs) won't bear well with sufferers and even non-sufferers like me will find it an ill-judged touch.

However, 'I, Tonya' elsewhere is handled very well. Particularly good is a sensational Allison Janney on pretty terrifying form, with her Oscar Win being one of this year's most deserving in a rare of few questionable wins, was rooting for between her and Laurie Metcalf. That is in my opinion, though there were a few that weren't my personal picks for the category, for example 'Lady Bird' being my pick for Best Original Screenplay.

Margot Robbie taking on Harding was a risk and it pays off mostly in a brave and credible performance that is her best to date (though not in the same league as Frances McDormand and Sally Hawkins). She may not look like Harding, is too old for her and could have brought out her vulnerability more (which would have happened if the film was consistently bolder showing the full horrors of the abuse, some times it was harrowing, other times it was too safe),but she is very successful at portraying her as a flawed and troubled human being with a lot of talent who made numerous mistakes but brings enough pathos to make her worth rooting for.

Rest of the cast are just as good, Sebastian Stan has never been better to me and the same goes for gentle and elegant Julianne Nicholson. Paul Walter Hauser entertains hugely as well. The direction is solid enough.

Visually, apart from the CGI, 'I, Tonya' looks great. It's beautifully shot and cleverly edited, while the music is energetic and whimsical and the ice skating choreography graceful. The script is sharp, acerbic and irreverent, with plenty of blackly funny moments. The story has its faults but is gripping and fast-paced with a lot of entertainment value, relatable themes, moments of tender poignancy and some unflinching ones. Was with the film for much of its length, which is why it was so frustrating that the Nancy Kerrigan story wasn't focused on enough. The documentary elements are an acquired taste and not for those looking for accuracy, but they were generally entertaining and clever if not as illuminating as they could have been.

Overall, entertaining and well done if uneven. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Comparisons come to mind when thinking of both Tonya Harding and this excellent film about her life and that notorious incident that led to her disgrace and banishment. The film is done almost as a homage to the faux documentary style that Gus Van Sant used in To Die For which was based on the Elizabeth Smart story. Both even had Australians as protagonists, Nicole Kidman for the Van Sant film and gloriously memorable Margot Robbie for I Tonya.

I racked my brain trying to think of a sports figure like Tonya Harding and the closest I came up with was Shoeless Joe Jackson who came from a similar trailer park background that Harding did. He too listened to the worse angels of his nature and got himself banned for life in his sport. Jackson had far less education than Harding did, in fact he was almost illiterate.

One thing about Jackson though his choice of life partner was a good one. By all accounts his choice of life mate was inspired as Katie Winn Jackson stuck loyally by him and was never a bad influence.

That could not be said for Jeff Gillooly who had the same kind of trailer park background that Tonya did and who let being the husband of a celebrity just totally go to his head. Sebastian Stan whom I consider one of the best actors around today plays Gillooly with an explosive intensity. As the sports press built up this rivalry between Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, Gillooly tries to think of ways he can make himself indispensable to his wife.

Thus was born the knee capping incident which gained both Kerrigan and Harding a celebrity status far beyond the world of women's figure skating. It was done by a man hired by a dim bulb friend of Gillooly's played by Paul Walker Houser. The scene with Houser being interviewed by the FBI is laughable and the expressions on the faces of the agents just says it all.

The investigation went almost Watergate like up the ladder until the real target was reached by law enforcement and public opinion. It's such an incredibly plaintive scene as Harding begs the Figure Skating Association not to be banned. It's all she knows. The film is purposely vague as to how much Tonya did know.

Best of all is Allison Janney and while the cast is great and many might get Oscar consideration Janney I think is a sure bet for a nomination as the monster of a mother that Robbie has. Still alive she denies the child abuse allegations. I kind of doubt it. Janney is unforgettable.

Two scenes are also real keys to Harding's character and how it developed. One is early on when Harding berates the judges. She knows she outskated everyone, but they remind her that form and presentation count big for them. And later on she's told she's not the right image. Figure skating champions have to be pristine princesses as they have from Sonja Henie to today. She does make the effort to clean up her image.

She almost does and a scene that will break your heart just before the fall is her leaving an arena and being asked by a little girl for an autograph. In that moment with dignity and class she shows herself the role model sports figure she was expected to be. Poignant all the more because the audience knows the fall is coming.

More than would be figure skaters should see I Tonya. It's the sad story of an American tragedy.

Man, I personally found this one to be an exceedingly uncomfortable watch.

"I, Tonya" is cleverly filmed as a pseudo-documentary, featuring re-enactments of the real-life interviews of most of the participants in this true-life drama. I recently bitterly criticised some film critics for spoiling the story of Donald Crowhurst, the subject of the recent "The Mercy". But I was about to do exactly the same here, *assuming* that you all know the lurid tale of the rivalry between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan that led up to an 'event' in 1994 that shocked the world. And of course, many of you younger folk don't know: case in point my 26 year old son who I went to see this with, and who went into the story blissfully blind of the drama about to unfold. So I will try to keep this review spoiler-free.

Playing Tonya from a (not very credible!) 15 years old to her mid-20's is Margot Robbie ("The Wolf of Wall Street", "Suicide Squad") in what is a BAFTA and Oscar nominated performance. And for good reason: the performance is raw, visceral and disturbing in reflecting a victim who still thinks everything at heart is her own fault.

Also BAFTA and Oscar nominated is Allison Janney ("The Girl on the Train") as Tonya's obnoxious chain-smoking mother LaVona. Janney is truly terrifying as the mother who abuses her daughter both physically and mentally in a driven attempt to make her the best ice-skater in the world.

Victims seem to attract abusers, and Tonya is surrounded by people who are just plain bad for her: notably her husband Jeff (Sebastian Stan, "The Martian", "Captain America: Winter Soldier") and his slimy and pitifully self-deluded friend Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser). The end credits video footage of the real-life players show just how well these parts were cast.

Why so uncomfortable to watch? There is a significant degree of domestic abuse featured in the film, both in terms of LaVona on her child and Jeff on his wife. This is something I abhor in general, having been brought up to believe it is never EVER acceptable to lay a hand on a woman. To have these cowardly individuals sensationalised in the movie I found to be really upsetting. I strongly feel, for this reason alone, that the film should have had an 18 certificate. Violence in film should be related to the context as well as the severity. (Note that this is in stark contrast to my comments of recent BBFC decisions to make "Phantom Thread" and "Lady Bird" 15-certificates when I believe they should have been 12A).

The film is executed extremely well, with 4:3 framing for the staged interviews, and ice skating scenes that seamlessly cut between the professional clearly doing the stunts and Robbie (who must also be a half decent skater too). The soundtrack is nicely littered - "Guardians of the Galaxy" style - with classic hits of the early 90's.

To think that this story actually unfolded in this way is nothing short of astounding... but it did! There is an astonishing video clip here (#spoilers) of the run up to, and the immediate aftermath of, the Kerrigan incident. I came out of the film with a deep feeling of sadness for Harding (at least, as portrayed) and utter disgust that the villains of this piece could be a) so cruel and out of control and b) so utterly stupid. These are individuals who really should have been sterilised to stop them polluting the gene pool any further.

Written by Steven Rogers ("Stepmom") and directed by Australian Craig Gillespie, there is no doubting that this is a powerful film: played to an absolutely silent and gripped Saturday night cinema audience. And it has truly dynamite performances from Allison Janney and Margot Robbie. But be warned that you'll need a strong stomach to go and see it without being affected by it afterwards. It's a mental keeper.