The Power of the Dog (2021)

[cinemiracle]

Title: The Power of the Dog (2021)

Genre: Western, Drama

Director: Jane Campion

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Keith Carradine, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Adam Beach, Peter Carroll, Frances Conroy, Sean Keenan, Ken Radley, George Mason, Ramontay McConnell, David Denis, Cohen Holloway, Max Mata, Josh Owen, Alistair Sewell, Eddie Campbell, Alice Englert, Jacque Drew, Yvette Parsons, Bryony Skillington, Aislinn Furlong, Daniel Cleary, Richard Falkner, Tatum Warren-Ngata, Yvette Reid, Alice May Connolly, Stephen Lovatt, Stephen Bain, Ella Hope-Higginson, Piimio Mei, Edith Poor, Vadim Ledogorov, Julie Forsyth, Alison Bruce, Karl Willetts, David T. Lim, Maeson Stone Skuggedal, Ian Harcourt

Release: 2021-11-17

Runtime: 127

Plot: A domineering, magnetic rancher responds with mocking cruelty when his brother brings home a new wife and her son, until the unexpected comes to pass.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Title: The Power of the Dog

Genre: Western, Drama

Director: Jane Campion

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Keith Carradine, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Adam Beach, Peter Carroll, Frances Conroy, Sean Keenan, Ken Radley, George Mason, Ramontay McConnell, David Denis, Cohen Holloway, Max Mata, Josh Owen, Alistair Sewell, Eddie Campbell, Alice Englert, Jacque Drew, Yvette Parsons, Bryony Skillington, Aislinn Furlong, Daniel Cleary, Richard Falkner, Tatum Warren-Ngata, Yvette Reid, Alice May Connolly, Stephen Lovatt, Stephen Bain, Ella Hope-Higginson, Piimio Mei, Edith Poor, Vadim Ledogorov, Julie Forsyth, Alison Bruce, Karl Willetts, David T. Lim, Maeson Stone Skuggedal, Ian Harcourt

Release: 2021-11-17

Runtime: 127

Plot: A domineering, magnetic rancher responds with mocking cruelty when his brother brings home a new wife and her son, until the unexpected comes to pass.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It's a Western with a great cast given a different spin by Jane Campion. It would be great if it played at a cinema near me as it looks like it would be beautiful on a big screen.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Ok, where's the dog?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The NYFF description of the film:

Jane Campion reaffirms her status as one of the world’s greatest—and most gratifyingly eccentric—filmmakers with this mesmerizing, psychologically rich variation on the American western. Adapted from a 1967 cult novel by Thomas Savage notoriously ahead of its time in depicting repressed sexuality, The Power of the Dog excavates the emotional torment experienced at a Montana cattle ranch in the 1920s. Here, melancholy young widow Rose (Kirsten Dunst) has come to live with her sensitive new husband, George (Jesse Plemons), though their lives are increasingly complicated by the erratic, potentially violent behavior of his sullen and bullying brother, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose mistrust of both Rose and her misfit son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) leads to tragic consequences. Mirroring the unpredictable story turns, Campion crafts a film of unexpected cadences and rhythms, and her daring is matched every step of the way by her extraordinary, fully immersed cast and a mercurial, destabilizing score by Jonny Greenwood.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Ok, where's the dog?

Just went for a walk he'll be right back.

 

[cinemiracle]

This is one of the very best films that I have seen so far this year. Written and Directed by Jane Campion who is my favourite Director working in cinema today. Not surprising that Jane won the Best Director award for this film at the Venice Film Festival. Truly a most mesmerising film that makes you think rather than give everything away on screen..

Spoiler: Plot twist spoiler

It is the best gay film that I have seen so far this year. Watched it twice so far.

 

[SamT]

The Power of the Dog (2021)

This is one of the very best films that I have seen so far this year. Written and Directed by Jane Campion who is my favourite Director working in cinema today. Not surprising that Jane won the Best Director award for this film at the Venice Film Festival. Truly a most mesmerising film...

www.hometheaterforum.com

 

[Tino]

I’ll see this when it streams probably.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I’ll see this when it streams probably.

December 1st on Netflix.

 

[JoeStemme]

Debuts on Netflix Today: My review:

Jane Campion's psychological Western is a slow burn. Set in 1920s Montana (there's a scene or two early where you get a brief glimpse of the 'Roaring 20s' on the plains) the story (which Campion adapted from the novel by Thomas Savage) concerns two brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemmons) who have drifted apart in their manner and outlook. When George marries a restaurant owner named Rose (Kirsten Dunst), a single mother with a son Peter (Kodi-Smit McPhee) the stress on their relationship deepens - especially since all four will now have to live on the family ranch together.

Filmed in New Zealand, Campion and Cinematographer Ari Wegner (LADY MACBETH) give the movie a stately but convincing look. Jonny Greenwood's score is sparse at times, but, comes to the fore as the drama deepens. The movie is divided into five chapters (none given a name, simply an on screen numeral) and it's a clue as to how the story is going to unfold in progressive steps - each act building into the next. As the chapters ensue, the focus subtly changes as does the focus on what characters come to the fore. It's a movie that demands rapt attention as the individual incidents often matter less than what isn't shown. It's a tale of incrementally developing emotional and even sexual tension.

For POWER to work, the ensemble has to be convincing and all four of the major roles are acted with aplomb. Cumberbatch may not, at first, come to mind as the most obvious casting as a tough cowpoke, but, he works superbly as the character evolves. Plemmons and Dunst are just fine, but it is McPhee who has the toughest task as the smart but shy young man who consistently surprises the viewer. Thomasin McKenzie, Adam Beach and Keith Carradine are among the fairly large supporting cast.

POWER OF THE DOG (the title is explained) isn't a traditional Western, nor is it consciously a 'revisionist' one. It is a strong drama where the direction, script and cast come together to create an indelible movie.

 

[Tino]

It is the best

Spoiler

gay[\spoiler]film that I have seen so far this year. Watched it twice so far.

Is this a spoiler?

 

[JoeStemme]

Is this a spoiler?

You'll notice I kept it vague in my review. For a reason.

 

[Tino]

You'll notice I kept it vague in my review. For a reason.

So that’s a yes then. Too bad.

 

[Matt Hough]

Mesmerizing from start to finish. All of the principals act their socks off, and they're great!

 

[Citizen87645]

I started this last night intending to watch partway, but I couldn't stop watching. I really didn't have a sense of where any of it was heading, and I can't remember the last time I felt that uneasy in a film's final act. The movie actually reminded me a lot of There Will Be Blood, and the score by Jonny Greenwood probably had a bit to do with that. This is also one of those films that requires a second viewing to see things from another, critical, perspective.

 

[Malcolm R]

This film is doing very well for Netflix:

Oscar winner Jane Campion’s first feature film as director in 12 years, The Power of the Dog, had plenty to wag its tail about in its 5-day debut on Netflix. Samba TV said Monday that the feature take of Thomas Savage’s 1967 Western novel drew in 1.2 million U.S. households over Wednesday to Sunday.

That’s a great start for what is essentially a two-hour-and-six-minute art house title, higher than HBO Max’s first weekend of King Richard by 70% (707,000 U.S. Samba measured households); ahead 36% and 84%, respectively, from Netflix’s Ted Melfi dramedy Starling (883K U.S. households) and Rebecca Hall’s Passing (653K U.S. households); and even higher than the first weekend of HBO Max’s Sopranos prequel feature The Many Saints of Newark, which drew 1M stateside homes in its first three days.

More interesting: The Power of the Dog is 300,000 U.S. households shy of the five-day premiere figure for Disney+’s first episode of Hawkeye, which drew 1.5M.

https://deadline.com/2021/12/the-power-of-the-dog-weekend-viewership-jane-campion-movie-1234885837/

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

One thing I will say is the photography in this is gorgeous and I thought was intentionally a tip of the hat to the huge vistas on display in vintage Westerns. Wonderful stuff.

 

[benbess]

Wow. Exquisite cinematography by Ari Wegner. She will be someone to watch for.

Ari Wegner | Cinematographer, Camera and Electrical Department, Actress

Known for: The Power of the Dog, The Wonder, Lady Macbeth

www.imdb.com

Excellent performances all around. One of my top ten movies of the year. I hope multiple Oscar nominations are given to this movie for acting, directing, music, cinematography, editing, etc.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So that’s a yes then. Too bad.

It's not really a spoiler as just knowing that will not ruin your experience. You are going to notice some things right off that will tip that hand so it is not like there is a big reveal or anything. The story sort of smolders so this flows all through it. I think it is as much a spoiler as telling you there is some stunning outdoor photography on display here.