The Power Of The Dog - Movie Review

Critics Score - 10 of 10

General Audience Score - 8 of 10

Montana is an absolutely beautiful state in the northwest part of these United States that’s as rural as it is stunning with the Rocky Mountains slicing up out of the western part of the state. Many a film has been set with the hills and mountainous terrain of the Rockies as the backdrop for some panoramic shots that can steal the breath from your lungs. Brokeback Mountain, A River Runs Through It and many more pieces of cinema are now joined by The Power Of The Dog in showcasing the fantastic beauty of that part of the world. The latest film by Jane Campion is a flawlessly executed cinematic delight that will garner rightful and deserved attention from critics and Academy Awards members. Not only should this film get a Best Picture nomination, in my mind, it is the clear winner of the films I’ve watched so far this year. I had yet to review a new film and give a critics score 10 of 10, but The Power Of The Dog just cannot be denied and while not all audiences will find the same enjoyment I did, there’s no other way to describe this film other than an absolute masterpiece of cinema.

SYNOPSIS - Our journey into the life of a Montana cattle rancher in the 1920’s starts with a bit of voiceover dialogue that is quickly forgotten but fits into this puzzle of a movie like a piece right in the center of the picture that has fallen under the table. Then we’re introduced to the rugged Phil (played by the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch), who co-owns a successful cattle farm with his dapper brother George (Jesse Plemons). After a successful cattle drive into the nearby town, a restaurant/innkeeper Rose (Kirsten Dunst) prepares their food and lodging, but the crass Phil offends Rose’s college age son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). George goes to pay and finds Rose sobbing and quickly becomes taken with her and they marry soon after, much to the annoyance of Phil. But after moving into the big ranch home with her new husband, Rose soon finds herself to be the subject of Phil’s mockery and slowly seeks to escape her unease around him with alcohol. Peter comes to visit from school and his scrawny frame and awkward nature makes him the butt of many of the ranch hands jokes, all while the tension keeps building through the second act until you can almost slice it with a knife. But after warming up to Peter, the secretive and unkempt Phil forms an unexpected friendship with the young man and begins weaving him a cow skin rope. The last thing I expected from this film was for it to have any semblance of a happy ending.

After all the dogs, cows and rabbits have come together in one hell of an epic sing-a-long finale, one can only sit back and marvel at all the intricacies of this filmmaking puzzle once we see all the pieces put together laying on the table. The film is paced incredibly well and continually gathers momentum over the second half, the excellent score helping to build anticipation like a storm brewing in the distance over the Montana mountains. What is coming we dare not try and guess, what horrors, mysteries and intrigue lie in wait at the finale we cannot hope to unravel before their time. Jane Campion directs with such precision and the editing is superb, there are no wasted frames even with a two hour plus runtime. This screenplay is as intricately woven together as the rawhide rope that Cumberbatch hand weaves in the movie. While Benedict will get an acting nomination and Dunst and Plemons are doing such amazing work they could easily get supporting noms, the entire supporting cast and even the unknown Smit-McPhee are phenomenal. Make it a point to catch up with this film, you won’t regret it. 

SUMMARY - Set aside the haunting score, gorgeous cinematography and other technical marvels a moment. What’s left is an incredibly well crafted story executed to near perfection. Whether it’s from Campion, Cumberbatch, a Dog or anything else, The Power Of this film will pick you up and carry you away to a world of suspense and wonder and leave you as slack-jawed and wide-eyed as a dead cow in the Montana highlands.