O my strength, haste thee to help me
Deliver my soul from the sword;
My darling from the power of the dog
Psalm 22:20
Jane Campion's Power of the Dog
The Power of the dog has an ensemble of galacticos in its cast with Benedict Cumberbatch (who would forever be Sherlock Holmes or Dr Strange to me), Kirsten Dunst (who I fondly remember as Spiderman's Mary-Jane), Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
The Power of the Dog is a Netflix film about love, hatred, envy, and sexuality that was primarily shot in New Zealand.
It has received 12 nominations for the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Cumberbatch).
It's a slow-paced film featuring characters who appear to be so damaged that viewers are unlikely to root for any of them. This is a film that may require more than one viewing to fully appreciate.
Plot
The Power of the Dog follows two Western brothers who have become wealthy and successful through ranching in 1925 Montana. Phil Burbank (Cumberbatch) is a smart Yale-educated man who has chosen to live the Cowboy life to the fullest, discarding all politeness. Phil has a reputation for being cruel and vicious, but he is adored by the majority of those who know him.
His brother George Burbank (Jesse Plemons) is quite the opposite and could be considered a simpleton in comparison with his brother Phil.
George falls in love with and marries the widowed innkeeper Rose, whom Phil despises, and her effeminate son Peter, whom he also refers to as Miss Nancy and is also subject to his constant ridicule.
Peter discovers something about Phil that causes him to rethink the way he treats him, resulting in a slow but never-ending drama.
Academy Award Nomination
The film gained critical acclaim from every sect in the film industry and is a strong contender for Best Picture, and rightly so. Although I wouldn't rush to declare it the Best Picture of the year because I also enjoyed "Belfast" and "Nightmare Alley," I wouldn't be surprised if it won the award because it is a good movie and usually the kind of movie that swoops the Oscar.
It is also significant for Netflix, which is eager to win the Best Picture prize after coming so close so many times. They have two films in the works for this year, and I wish them the best of luck.
The categories The power of the Dog got nominated for are as follows;
| Category | Nominated Recipient |
|---|---|
| Best Picture | Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier |
| Best Director | Jane Campion |
| Best Actor | Benedict Cumberbatch |
| Best Supporting Actor | Jesse Plemons/Kodi Smit-McPhee |
| Best Supporting Actress | Kirsten Dunst |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Jane Campion |
| Best Cinematography | Ari Wegner |
| Best Film Editing | Peter Sciberras |
| Best Original Score | Jonny Greenwood |
| Best Production Design | Grant Major and Amber Richards |
| Best Sound | Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie, Tara Webb |
My Opinion
Jane Campion is a master of the filmmaking craft, and she clearly brought her A-game with top-notch dialogues that would keep you glued, flawed characters that you constantly feel sorry for, amazing use of colour that seems to truly transport us back in time, melodious tones to fit each setting, and wonderful camera technique. It's no wonder that it received so many Academy Award nominations.
However, the film is one of those that has a lot of flesh on the bone (which is usually a good thing), but I believe that too much emphasis was placed on the cinematography, which resulted in the story being hurried towards the end. This, I believe, is why people believe they can't stand Oscar-nominated films as they leave so much to the imagination.
I will give this film a 9/10 and encourage anyone who wants to see it to be patient because the story moves slowly but is well worth the wait.
Conclusion
This is one of the best movies you're likely to see this year, but I must warn you that it is a slow burner, and if you're looking for action, you might be disappointed.
Overall, it's a good film that I think everyone should see.
Thanks for stopping by, please drop by again tomorrow when I will be reviewing "Belfast"
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