After
making history in 1993 for being the second woman to receive the
Academy Awards Best Director nomination for The Piano, and
after a 12 year hiatus, writer-director Jane Campion returns to the
big screen with The Power of the Dog, an adaptation of the
acclaimed 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, by the same title.
In
this intriguing neo-western, set on a cattle ranch in
1925 Montana,
the rugged, unpleasant, mean-spirited Phil Burbank (British actor
Benedict Cumberbatch), lives with his kind and gentle brother George
(Jesse Plemons). When George moves into the ranch his newlywed bride,
widower Rose Gordon (Plemon's real life partner Kirsten Dunst) and
her non-masculine teenager son Peter (Australian Kodi Smit-McPhee),
Phil goes out of his way to let the newcomers know that their
presence is unwelcome and turns their existence into living hell. A
shift in dynamics takes place when Phil suddenly changes tactics
deciding to mentor Peter.
Craftily
weaving the plot into new depths, Campion masterfully orchestrates a
tense, gripping, complex web. While restraining from connecting the
dots, she gradually unfolds the multi-layered plot with precision and
finesse, leading to a breath-taking finale.
The
feature is packed with stellar, riveting performances throughout
however, Oscar nominated Cumberbatch's multi-faceted portrayal stands
out as his best performance
to date.
Augmenting
the memorable renditions are cinematographer Ari Wegner's sweeping
long lenses and immersive visuals, Grant Majors' production design as
well as Oscar nominated Jonny Greenwood's (Spencer, Licorice
Pizza) dark, original score.
A
do not miss.