Movie Review: The Phantom of the Open

Every once in a while, a film comes along that simply makes you feel good. It may not be a superlative piece of cinema, nor may it feature virtuoso performances from all involved, but it has something that well, just works and it makes the whole thing that much more enjoyable. The Phantom of the Open is precisely such a film. It is an engaging and heart-warming piece of entertainment that shines its beacon of hope over its entire running time. 

The film tells the stirring true tale of one Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance), a crane operator in Barrow-in-Furness who, in 1976, through a series of befuddling events, earned a place in the qualifying round of the British Open Golf Championship, even though he had never actually played the game before. Consequently, he produced the worst round in the history of the Open, incurring the wrath of the golfing establishment, while simultaneously becoming a sort of folk hero. 

Director Craig Roberts, whose last film was the charming Eternal Beauty (2019), does a wonderful job of keeping Simon Farnaby’s rather cerebral script moving along at an effortless clip. The story plays with both whimsy and pragmatic pessimism to achieve a sort of cathartic release for Maurice’s relentless, almost simplistic, belief in himself and in the people around him. Aided by the cinematography of Kit Fraser and Sarah Finlay’s production design, the film teeters on the edge of a whimsical fantasy but never falls victim to it and instead stays grounded in telling Maurice’s remarkable story. Crisp editing courtesy of Jonathan Amos, never lets the film lose any momentum throughout, which is, of course, aided by an appropriate score from Isobel Waller-Bridge. 

Mark Rylance in “The Phantom of the Open.”

In addition to Rylance’s sublime performance, Sally Hawkins does equally incredible work as Jean, the object of Maurice’s affections. Twins Christian and Jonah Lees serve as comic relief of sorts as the younger siblings in the family who are somewhat the opposite of the oldest Flitcroft boy, Michael (Jake Davies), who is embarrassed and somewhat ashamed by his father’s shenanigans. 

Even though The Phantom of the Open may not be considered one of the great “golf” films of all time, it is certainly one of the greatest stories of a golfer ever told. It is an inspiring and enchanting film that should not be missed.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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