hockeylass-134-929537
Joined Oct 2014
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hockeylass-134-929537's rating
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hockeylass-134-929537's rating
If you're the kind of film buff who enjoys picking apart and discussing a movie scene by scene, then this is the film for you.
It's been three days since I watched The Power of the Dog and I'm still thinking about it, moments re-entering my mind. And the great thing is, you can interpret it in so many ways!
For a film that's got four main characters, a vast, bleak but beautiful landscape and a score that's as lonely and unforgiving as both the vast Wild West and the antagonist, Phil Burbank, it packs a whole lot in. Every moment is where it should be, from lingering silences, the placement of a hand, the note of a musical instrument, the pill of a rope.
Phil Burbank is a brute of a man conditioned by the life he lives and the one he denies. He exudes the bravado of control and dominance, everything one would expect from a ranch master. Benedict Cumberbatch embodies him completely, the tension in his body breaking in minuscule moments of solitude showing his true self. He is truly is a master of his craft, and I don't know many other actors (if any) who could've pulled this off.
His brother, is a soft and shy George, clearly presenting as the "brains" of the business even though he knows he's not the cleverer of the two, and consigned always to be second-best. When he summons the courage to approach Rose, he presents his masculinity in kinder ways. Rose, a widow who seems quite beaten by her lot, takes a liking. And while they love one another, it's her introduction to the family home that triggers Phil's campaign of nastiness and torment. Both are played with an outstanding touch by real life husband and wife Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, the latter really going through the wringer and performing her descent with aplomb.
It's her son, Peter, played in mesmerising fashion by Kodi Smit-McPhee (who id never heard of before this movie) who ends up being the key to the story's development. I'll say no more but Kodi is brilliant, and I hope this is the first of many star performances by him.
Of course, this epic western psycho-drama needs its leader and Jane Campion, surrounded by a clearly incredible crew and supporting cast, is the magician of the piece. As I said before, everything has its place, nothing is wasted - and upon rewatching I know I'll discover new details to think upon.
It's up for multiple awards already, and is very much in the running for the big ones - and you can see why. This is a film lover's film. And for the casual viewer also a visual treat with depth, meaning and thought-provoking takeaways.
It's been three days since I watched The Power of the Dog and I'm still thinking about it, moments re-entering my mind. And the great thing is, you can interpret it in so many ways!
For a film that's got four main characters, a vast, bleak but beautiful landscape and a score that's as lonely and unforgiving as both the vast Wild West and the antagonist, Phil Burbank, it packs a whole lot in. Every moment is where it should be, from lingering silences, the placement of a hand, the note of a musical instrument, the pill of a rope.
Phil Burbank is a brute of a man conditioned by the life he lives and the one he denies. He exudes the bravado of control and dominance, everything one would expect from a ranch master. Benedict Cumberbatch embodies him completely, the tension in his body breaking in minuscule moments of solitude showing his true self. He is truly is a master of his craft, and I don't know many other actors (if any) who could've pulled this off.
His brother, is a soft and shy George, clearly presenting as the "brains" of the business even though he knows he's not the cleverer of the two, and consigned always to be second-best. When he summons the courage to approach Rose, he presents his masculinity in kinder ways. Rose, a widow who seems quite beaten by her lot, takes a liking. And while they love one another, it's her introduction to the family home that triggers Phil's campaign of nastiness and torment. Both are played with an outstanding touch by real life husband and wife Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, the latter really going through the wringer and performing her descent with aplomb.
It's her son, Peter, played in mesmerising fashion by Kodi Smit-McPhee (who id never heard of before this movie) who ends up being the key to the story's development. I'll say no more but Kodi is brilliant, and I hope this is the first of many star performances by him.
Of course, this epic western psycho-drama needs its leader and Jane Campion, surrounded by a clearly incredible crew and supporting cast, is the magician of the piece. As I said before, everything has its place, nothing is wasted - and upon rewatching I know I'll discover new details to think upon.
It's up for multiple awards already, and is very much in the running for the big ones - and you can see why. This is a film lover's film. And for the casual viewer also a visual treat with depth, meaning and thought-provoking takeaways.
There's a lot of critics out there. And a lot of them seem very keen to slate this as much as possible, beyond what seems objectively reasonable.
What I would say is this - ignore them all (good and bad) and make your own mind up. And remember this is very close to a true story, written by a man who fell down the darkest of holes having been failed by the systems and freedoms he swore to protect.
Cherry is just an ordinary guy. There's nothing remarkable about him. And the disordered start of this film (which I struggled with to be honest) reflects the erratic nature of his drifter existence.
As the film progresses the style falls into order and then back into disorder, reflecting the rollercoaster ride of Cherry's horrific wartime experience and descent into drug addiction as he struggles to erase what he saw. The Russo Brothers together with DOP Newton Thomas Sigel, use a range of clever tricks to put you in Cherry's boots. From colour tones to aspect ratios, it takes you from soft warm love to cold hard conditioning in an instant.
I personally really enjoyed these choices, and look forward to watching it again to see what other details I might have missed on first viewing. I understand some people might feel that there's too much movie going on, but it was more than fine for me (all personal taste I guess!).
The acting from Tom Holland is exemplary and, at times, frightening. I cannot think what it must have been like to have to go to those places to portray the pain and fear he did and he should be applauded for taking such a leap with this role - he will always carry the weight of Spider-Man on his shoulders but he should be at least respected for wanting to branch out into challenging roles such as this. Ciara Bravo was excellent too, although I think I would have liked a bit more character arc from her (not her fault of course). I thought the supporting cast did well too in their roles - none of them particularly likeable (Jeff Wahlberg's Jimenez a rare exception) as they support and enable Cherry's demise.
Overall, this is a movie which really stayed with me, it still does. It's eye-opening, it's desperately sad, and it's incredibly powerful.
What I would say is this - ignore them all (good and bad) and make your own mind up. And remember this is very close to a true story, written by a man who fell down the darkest of holes having been failed by the systems and freedoms he swore to protect.
Cherry is just an ordinary guy. There's nothing remarkable about him. And the disordered start of this film (which I struggled with to be honest) reflects the erratic nature of his drifter existence.
As the film progresses the style falls into order and then back into disorder, reflecting the rollercoaster ride of Cherry's horrific wartime experience and descent into drug addiction as he struggles to erase what he saw. The Russo Brothers together with DOP Newton Thomas Sigel, use a range of clever tricks to put you in Cherry's boots. From colour tones to aspect ratios, it takes you from soft warm love to cold hard conditioning in an instant.
I personally really enjoyed these choices, and look forward to watching it again to see what other details I might have missed on first viewing. I understand some people might feel that there's too much movie going on, but it was more than fine for me (all personal taste I guess!).
The acting from Tom Holland is exemplary and, at times, frightening. I cannot think what it must have been like to have to go to those places to portray the pain and fear he did and he should be applauded for taking such a leap with this role - he will always carry the weight of Spider-Man on his shoulders but he should be at least respected for wanting to branch out into challenging roles such as this. Ciara Bravo was excellent too, although I think I would have liked a bit more character arc from her (not her fault of course). I thought the supporting cast did well too in their roles - none of them particularly likeable (Jeff Wahlberg's Jimenez a rare exception) as they support and enable Cherry's demise.
Overall, this is a movie which really stayed with me, it still does. It's eye-opening, it's desperately sad, and it's incredibly powerful.