The Power of the Dog

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

source: The Power of the Dog

This is one of those films that grabs you by the throat, or the chin, and refuses to let go until the credits roll. It follows the book that it's based on, by Thomas Savage, very closely. Though it may look like a simple story - an angry rancher who torments his brother's new wife and son when they come to live with him - it's much more complicated and fascinating than that. Phil Burbank is a toxic man's man and loves to show it off: easily offended, filthy, hands on, cruel, homophobic, suspicious and a bachelor. But as the story moves on, a different side to him is shown: one of raw vulnerability, loneliness, deep self-hatred and alienation. He is someone who is brilliant at ranching and loves the lifestyle. But the exact thing he loves prevents him from being who he is: a gay man. Which is a big no-no in this time and place. At first he sees Peter, his new nephew, as a weakling deserving of mockery and taunts. But when he sees that not only is the boy highly intelligent, but also immune to his cow hands's insults, he takes a shine to him and begins to show him the ropes of the ranch's lifestyle. As this is a Jane Campion film, don't expect a happy conclusion or a happy feeling when going into this film. It's rough, gritty, gut-wrenching and has non stop tension throughout. There were a few funny moments, such as Phil's brother George's inability to string two words together at times, or Phil's deliberate lack of social skills, but they come sparingly. George, despite being the kind one, is not without flaws (none of the main characters are). He is completely clueless to his wife's sufferings and how she would feel being at the ranch all day, away from her life in the inn, and being tormented by her brother in law. The Burbank ranch is not exactly a place for a woman. It's certainly not a place for a woman like Rose, who is easily brought to tears and insecure, and even less so (or so it seems) a boy like Peter. So she turns into an alcoholic, giving Phil a reason to turn George and Peter against her. To say this is an intense watch is an understatement. The shots of New Zealand, posing as Montana, and Johnny Greenwood's score is overpowering and completely breathtaking. But it's Benedict Cumberbatch who steals the show, committing full on to the complex and difficult role and capturing all the little nuances of the character with a delicate precision. I always knew he was one of the absolute greats of actors. I'm just incredibly happy so many more people can see it now.

A seemingly endless mirage of depressing not so subtle subtext- The Power of the Dog misses its goals on nearly every mark- never quite finding the balance between its harsh realities and a decent story. I'll be honest and say the only reason I even completed watching this movie was to write my review. The first hour of this film was so incredibly tedious it was quite unbearable to watch at times- and took me 4 attempts to get through. The second half, thankfully, is a lot more interesting- but as with the rest of the film- still lacks a greater point despite its intended actions. Many may criticize me for hating on this film, saying i'm missing the point, but I understand what this film is trying to do completely- rather- I just think it does it quite poorly. It is trying to invoke a subtle nature of depression and mental illness in a time where it was more ill to bring these things to light in society than experience them. Its main problem is that it isn't quite so subtle, if it was any more obvious it'd be a flashing beacon with words on the screen shouting depression. Not to mention its tedious and incredibly dull storytelling hardly find any interesting moments into the later half, and even then, it's still quite a mess. The acting is decent- Cumberbatch and Plemmons are obviously giving it their all- and Dunst is too- but her performance feels overshadowed and too over the top given the films direction to truly deserve any praise. The cinematography is fantastic, and it truly captures the vibe of the films tone and atmosphere, but you still can't help but feel while watching at it that it's a beautiful empty vessel still attempting to find any significance. In the end, The Power of the Dog is another boring Oscar Bait flick, overrated and bound to be forgotten. It has its strengths, but far too little of them to make for a decent watch in any way shape or form. My Rating: 4.2/10.

In 1925 Montana, wealthy rancher Jesse Plemons marries widowed Kirsten Dunst and assumes responsibility for seeing to the education her her son, Kodi Smit-McPhee. The youngster wants to be a surgeon, but his swishy manner draws the rancor of everyone. This includes, at first, Plemons' brother and partner, the unwashed, contemptuous Benedict Cumberbatch. He has been tormenting Miss Dunst from the get-go. Suddenly he changes in his attitude for the adolescent. At a store after the movie, a clerk noticed my ticket and asked my opinion of the movie. "It's a study in varieties of self-contempt," I said, "With a Patricia Highsmith sociopath thrown into the mix." The writer-director, Jane Campion, has long focused on studies of people who don't fit into the muscular, masculine world that is mythic to Australia. Here she has focused on a similar society in the closing days of the Old West, and produced a similar work from Thomas Savage's novel. The dictates of society are relentless. The performances are sterling. The camera work by Ari Wegner is gorgeous. Ms Campion doesn't just lay the homoerotic symbolism with a trowel; she backs the cement mixer up and upends it over everything. And in the end, I wished that I had never heard of any of them, so annoying -- at best -- did I find them. There's not one admirable individual to be found, and I deeply regret having spent more than two hours with the bunch of them. Perhaps this was a story that needed to be told, but it was not one I needed to have told to me.

Benedict Cumberbatch playing against type as a nasty, rough cowboy (Phil) in rural 1920's Montana. Which is, as you'd expect, completely convincingly recreated by Jane Campion. I don't mind slow films. Or long films. What I do mind is slow, long films that take my time for granted by spinning out the story, as this does. You can only hope for so long that a main character who is completely obnoxious might be heading for redemption or something. The scene where he abuses a horse (as he does everyone else) is not necessary to show how bad he is. That's been hammered home for half an hour - which seemed like three. There's no mystery, no suspense; just Phil being nasty. By Part III, it's pretty plain that Nasty Phil is nothing more than nasty. Fine, that's established. By this time I had lost interest in whether Phil lived, died, or jumps a horse through a ring of fire. Basically because he's so irredeemably horrible, and there's no reason to waste time finding out whether he gets his deserts.

Greetings again from the darkness. Don't mess with the smart ones, as brains often outlast brawn. I'm conflicted on how best to describe this film. Perhaps ... It's nuanced storytelling at its finest. Jane Campion won an original screenplay Oscar for THE PIANO (1993), while also becoming only the second woman to receive a nomination as Best Director. This is her 8th feature film to direct, and the first since the underrated BRIGHT STAR (2009). Ms. Campion is such a smooth filmmaker, and her latest is so expertly crafted and so beautifully filmed, that some may find themselves not recognizing the underlying tension between characters. I urge you to remain diligent and take note of the subtle gestures and facial expressions, as the emotions run deep. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil Burbank. He runs a successful cattle ranch with his brother George, played by Jesse Plemons. Though they sleep in the same room and have been driving cattle together for 25 years, the brothers couldn't be less alike. George is a soft-spoken man with few needs or aspirations other than wishing to not grow old alone. He lives in the shadow of his formidable brother, an educated man with a domineering personality. Phil is constantly proving how tough and macho he is by bullying others, even calling his more sensitive brother "Fatso". That thundering you hear is Phil purposefully slamming his heels into the wood floors so that his spurs never stop jangling. Phil is playing a game that only he knows the rules to. George bows his head in shame as he hears Phil belittle the frail and effeminate teenage Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is waiting on their table at the Red Mill. Peter's widowed mother Rose (Kirsten Dunst) owns the place, and after George provides some comfort to her, George and Rose secretly marry. Viewing this as a personal affront, Phil is merciless in his cruelty towards Rose and Peter. It turns out that Phil is masquerading as one thing in order to hide another truth. An intriguing sequence (that is so well acted I could watch it 10 times) leads to a warming of the relationship between Phil and Peter. The two bond over horseback riding, rope-braiding, and stories of Phil's now-deceased 'mentor', Bronco Henry. This setting is 1925 Montana, though it's filmed in New Zealand. The majestic mountain range constantly looms on the horizon. Yet despite the beauty, it's a tough life made tougher by Phil's menacing behavior - psychological torturing of Rose that leads her to the bottle - something that clearly holds unfavorable memories. The four leads are truly outstanding, and supporting work is provided by Thomasin McKenzie as the young housekeeper, and Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy, Allison Bruce, and Peter Carroll as uncomfortable guests at a dinner party. Jonny Greenwood provides the music. It's not so much a score as it is mood-enhancing messaging through guitars, violins, and pianos - each piece delivering just the right note. Cinematographer Ari Wegner (THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG, 2019) works seamlessly with director Campion to capture the shifts in tone and the minutiae of the performances. An early shot through the kitchen windows captures Phil strutting through the ranch. The shot is repeated later with a contrasting look. The film is based on the 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, and it includes some of his personal experiences. Nothing haunts us more than the lingering effect of words Peter provides as narration near the film's opening, when he informs us that a real man must save his mother. Oh yes, this is nuanced storytelling at its finest. By the way, you know how to whistle, don't you? Streaming on Netflix.

Since she made The Piano, Jane Campion has become a cult figure in movies. Any of her movies will, therefore, have a devoted following, regardless of their quality. Here's my take on this one, which I didn't like. Yes, the exterior cinematography is often very beautiful. But the rest left me detached, unmoved, and unimpressed. The script is full of very artificial dialogue that often goes nowhere. Most of the scenes move at the speed of molasses in January. Endless moments are presented as significant because they move slowly and there is next to total silence. I just didn't care. Some previous reviewers said this created tension. I felt no tension whatsoever. Nor do I see this movie as displaying great acting. Not the actors' fault, certainly. They were given little to work with. Endless pained expressions do not constitute great acting, especially in a sound picture. I stuck it out until the end. Thank God it was on Netflix. I don't think I could have made it all the way through in a movie theater. Despite what some of the previous reviews suggest, there is no surprise ending. The truly bizarre boy turns out to have a backbone, of sorts, and that's about it. Watch it at your own risk, and make of it what you will.