The Power of the Dog

Jane Campion exhibits a mastery of her craft, as she finds the right tone, pacing, and atmosphere in her film The Power of the Dog.  The acting is also spot-on, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil, Jesse Plemons as George, Kirsten Dunst as Rose, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Peter.  Campion allows the characters to develop as the film progresses, they're not changing for the convenience of the plot, rather the depth of their true character is being revealed as the events of the film unfold.  The most impactful scenes are the ones in which the relationship between Phil and Peter deepens; from first impressions, to an intimate understanding that comes from similar experiences, it's fascinating to watch.  Utilizing a term that's making the rounds right now, Cumberbatch does the lion's share of the heavy lifting, as his acting is on another level.  His performance is nuanced in a way that alludes to thoughts and feelings that are bubbling just below the surface, but are never spoken.  He brings an ominous unpredictability to each scene, which is captivating because just when his motivations seem clear, he does something surprising, that forces the other characters to reconsider their perception of him.  The cinematography is beautiful, and it doesn't hurt that the film is set in Montana, with the stark grandeur of God's creation being on full display.  

The ending was almost perfect, if it wasn't for an extraneous expository exchange between Plemons' character and another character, who's only purpose was to provide a simplified explanation for what was already clear.  I had a sneaking suspicion that this interaction had been added to make sure that anyone who had been texting, tweeting, snapping, tiktoking, etc. and may have missed the clues along the way, was given a clear understanding of what just happened.  There's nothing worse than looking up from your phone as the credits start to roll and feeling like you just missed something important.  For what it's worth, I found that the exchange in question was included in the final working draft of the script (you can see it here), so I guess that Campion knew that she needed this scene as she was writing the script; she must have already made a deal with Netflix.