I just saw The Power of the Dog yesterday with a friend of mine at the local movie theatre, and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. It takes far too long to build up to a rushed conclusion - something my friend agreed with, as he told me afterwards that he almost fell asleep a couple of times during the first hour or so.
Kirsten Dunst's character was, to me, severely underwritten, as most of her decisions seem unclear or unmotivated - which surprised me, as Campion is known for her great portrayals of fascinating women - as in The Piano, Bright Star, Portrait of a Lady, Holy Smoke, Bottom of the Lake, etc.
Also, Kodi Smit-McPhee played pretty much the same character, yet more nuanced, in another, far superior post-modern western, also filmed in New-Zealand as it happens: Slow West. And while the cinematography is stunning at times, it did kind of looked artificial to me at certain moments, especially compared to Slow West, which had a more convincing 'inhospitable middle of nowhere' feel to it.
I have to admit that most of the performances are indeed great, but don't necessarily agree that Benedict Cumberbatch's work here is Oscar-worthy - as a lot of critics are saying. There's really not all that much to his character that I haven't seen done better in other movies - just the usual 'crude roughneck with a hidden softness within' trope. Also, once again his American accent is not completely convincing to me, as it did tend to slip into British-sounding territory during more intense scenes.
But yes, the music by Jonny Greenwood is absolutely fantastic, which does make up for a lot atmospherically - but overall, it did drag on for a bit too long for my tastes. 6/10.
Kirsten Dunst's character was, to me, severely underwritten, as most of her decisions seem unclear or unmotivated - which surprised me, as Campion is known for her great portrayals of fascinating women - as in The Piano, Bright Star, Portrait of a Lady, Holy Smoke, Bottom of the Lake, etc.
Also, Kodi Smit-McPhee played pretty much the same character, yet more nuanced, in another, far superior post-modern western, also filmed in New-Zealand as it happens: Slow West. And while the cinematography is stunning at times, it did kind of looked artificial to me at certain moments, especially compared to Slow West, which had a more convincing 'inhospitable middle of nowhere' feel to it.
I have to admit that most of the performances are indeed great, but don't necessarily agree that Benedict Cumberbatch's work here is Oscar-worthy - as a lot of critics are saying. There's really not all that much to his character that I haven't seen done better in other movies - just the usual 'crude roughneck with a hidden softness within' trope. Also, once again his American accent is not completely convincing to me, as it did tend to slip into British-sounding territory during more intense scenes.
But yes, the music by Jonny Greenwood is absolutely fantastic, which does make up for a lot atmospherically - but overall, it did drag on for a bit too long for my tastes. 6/10.