Adapted from Thomas Savage's novel of the same name, Jane Campion's interpretation of The Power of The Dog for Netflix continues their attempt to bring prestigious names to the streamer, and bolster their forthcoming award season hopes. A slow-burning Western drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog marks Campion's first film in over a decade -- and stands her a good chance at becoming the third female winner of the Academy Awards' Best Director accolade.
Wealthy ranch owner brothers Phil and George Burbank's dynamic is shaken upon meeting recently-widowed Rose and her kind-hearted son, Henry. While George and Rose develop a romantic connection, the volatile Phil torments Rose and Henry for his effeminate manners. Placing a strain over the family and the business, tensions can only come to a breaking point.
An intelligent picture that pitch-perfectly calibrates atmosphere, character and narrative in a beautifully-shot, thoughtful character study, The Power of the Dog is a film that demonstrates the importance of patience and space to build ideas, tones and themes. A master in her ability to let tension simmer, Campion - through both her direction and writing - has crafted a moving and powerful mediation on masculinity and environment, one that always has much more happening beneath the surface than the first inspection may suggest.
With strong production, gorgeous cinematography from Ari Wegner and a well-defined contrast between the wide shots of the landscape and the tight angles in the character-focused moments, The Power of the Dog is a tightly controlled picture that uses small flourishes and nuances to enhance its storytelling power. Despite standing at 126 minutes, every moment is utilised in a manner that furthers the characters and our understanding of them, with a thinner narrative providing greater scope to develop their emotions and dynamics. Quietly, and often distantly, surveying these characters without much need for dialogue or explicit expressions is demonstrative of a poised director in control of their story, with Campion's restrained yet considered approach benefiting the overall success of the film considerably.
Benedict Cumberbatch delivers some of the finest work in his career, conveying the mean-spirited and controlling Phil Burbank as a wicked man but also as a consequence of his own experiences and upbringing. As layers are removed and revealed to the audience, Cumberbatch's performance transforms and we begin to understand the core of the character, unfurling from then onwards with such intrigue and fascination that you remain wholly transfixed throughout. In this situation, it could be so easy for an actor to push the performance into superfluous territory, but Cumberbatch exercises a reticence most suited to the guarded character.
Kirsten Dunst once again illustrates her proclivity towards complex characters she can nurture, exploring Rose's fragility and demons with sensitivity and understanding. Although she is perhaps not given the screentime or space to reach the height of her potential, it is nevertheless extremely impressive work that illustrates her greatness as an actor. Jodi Smit-McPhee is another standout, bearing a great deal of the film's weight on his shoulders but rising to the occasion with a mature performance that anchors the film and showcases a warmth very much needed in cutting through the suspense.
Jane Campion is a director completely in control of her craft and secure in her vision; given the reduced dialogue and reliance on atmosphere, The Power of the Dog is a film that requires such a steady grip to avoid slipping out of its audiences grasp, but Campion has calibrated everything so carefully and with such sophistication that it comes to work in total harmony. With an excellent ensemble cast at the ready, strong behind-the-scenes talent and one of the best scores of the year from Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog is a resounding success for Campion, Netflix and most likely the upcoming award season.