The Power Indeed
SCORE: 95/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
The Power of the Dog is Netflix's latest Oscar-worthy drama, and damn is it good. It's hard to watch and will be labeled as malicious by some, but provides incredible performances and cinematography that are truly worth the journey.
It's impossible to talk about this movie without talking about Benedict Cumberbatch's performance. His character is outright evil at times, but the softness that starts to grow is truly well-written and well-acted. He plays a character with hidden secrets that he wonderfully, and silently, uses to build his character into so much more. I'm almost positive that he'll receive the Oscar nomination, but whether he gets the win is left to be decided. Kirsten Dunst also gives a powerhouse performance. Her character is the main recipient of Burbank's torture, and she plays it beautifully. You can really feel her pain as well as her descent into darker levels of character. Smit-McPhee and Plemons are also great here, with the latter being left out of more of the movie than I though he would be.
Jane Campion has crafted a beautifully isolated western through her choices in cinematography, production design, and music. The shots feel both personal and impersonal, and at times feels placed in such a way as to create a palpable sense of tension. It really makes you feel like a third person in the room or a fly on the wall. The production design team is to be commended here, as setting the Burbank home in the middle of a plain field with no surrounding buildings, or even trees really, works wonders when joined with the writing. It serves to isolate Dunst's character even more as she puts up with Burbank's torture. Finally, the score written by Jonny Greenwood is haunting, and really heightens all of the tension. While there aren't many "happy" moments in the film, when there are, the score is absent, even making those moments feel darker and with something hiding under the surface.
My only complaint would have to be that the movie is a little too slow and its tension a little too psychological, but even then its a very small criticism. It's the point that Burbank is being mentally torturing to Dunst, and not outwardly violent or physical. That'd be too easy for her husband to see the effects of.
Small criticism aside, this film is worth your time if you have a Netflix subscription, and even if you don't. It's a more cerebral and artsy film than your usual Netflix schlock, but isn't so far removed that it can't be enjoyed by audiences. This one will be hard o top during awards season.
Final Thought: The Power of the Dog is an incredibly powerful and deceptively emotional film that is as incredible as it is hard to watch.
Score: 95/100
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