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#134 Favorite Film, 2021 Films, Benedict Cumberbatch, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Frances Conroy, Jane Campion, Jesse Plemons, Keith Carradine, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Period Drama, Thomasin McKenzie, Top 250 Films, Western

The Power of the Dog-2021

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The Power of the Dog-2021

Director Jane Campion

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons

Top 250 Films #134

Scott’s Review #1,199

Reviewed November 21, 2021

Grade: A

Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a harrowing and brutally honest performance in The Power of the Dog (2021), a thought-provoking and layered film by Jane Campion. Parts western, gothic, and drama, Cumberbatch leads the charge, but all players associated with the film knock it out of the park.

If the superior acting is not enough, the eerie subtext and gorgeous cinematography firmly place the viewer in 1925 Montana, where a vast and open range serves as the primary setting. Characters are riddled with secrets, and the fun lies in peeling back the layers to reveal their motives and true desires.

There are enough bare male butts to titillate most viewers, and Cumberbatch himself did not use the aid of a body double. He stated he wanted to be as raw and vulnerable as his character, the dastardly and cruel Phil Burbank.

Campion, who hasn’t made a film in over a decade, is back with a vengeance, paying homage to Ang Lee and his movie Brokeback Mountain (2006).

From the first moment on screen, we know something is mesmerizing about Phil. He is handsome and severe, an alpha male if there ever was one, and attributes his savvy to his deceased father figure, Bronco Henry. His relationship with this man is key to the whole story.

Along with his brother George (Jesse Plemons), the Burbank brothers are wealthy ranchers. One day, at the Red Mill restaurant on their way to market, the brothers meet Rose (Kirsten Dunst), the widowed proprietress, and her impressionable and effeminate son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee).

Phil behaves cruelly to Rose and Peter, but George becomes enamored with Rose and they marry, much to Phil’s chagrin. Now all living together, Phil taunts Peter and terrorizes Rose, but slowly begins to take the boy under his wing.

But what are his true intentions, and what will Peter do to save his mother from a complete breakdown?

The acting is so brilliant that I immediately became immersed in their lives. Particularly fascinating is Phil, but Rose, George, and Peter are all substantial characters. All the characters intertwine and have special relationships with each other, and all the principal actors are central to our fascination with them.

Rose may be Dunst’s best role yet, and Plemons is terrific as the kind and steady George. Smit-McPhee, unknown to me, is a revelation as the androgynous young intellectual.

There are enough homoerotic scenes to make the viewer question Phil’s sexuality. His secret stash of strong man magazines and his long gazes at nude male sunbathers may be enough to unlock the key. Still, when he rubs a handkerchief belonging to Bronco all over his body, the relationship between the two men oozes to the surface.

Campion has a lot of guts in taking on the male-driven western genre, and she brilliantly succeeds. Forgetting the storyline for a moment, the ravishing and oftentimes lonely landscape makes the film gorgeous to look at, especially on the big screen.

Plenty of long shots of the mountainous regions will inevitably captivate viewers and transport them to a bygone era.

The Power of the Dog was shot in New Zealand, but I was completely fooled into thinking Montana was the real filming location.

I adored seeing the costumes, whether it be Rose in a housedress or more distinguished characters like the governor and his wife dressed for a dinner party. All costumes appear authentic, peppered with a touch of glamour amidst the dirtiness of the range. Even the grubby ranch hands look great.

Discussions will certainly erupt once the film ends, and isn’t that the point of great films? The Power of the Dog (2021) takes the tried-and-true Western genre and infuses it with psychological depth.

Thanks to Campion and the team, she masterfully uses no gimmicks to draw the viewer into the world of the characters, instead offering authenticity and edge-of-your-seat drama.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Jane Campion (won), Best Actor-Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actor-Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jesse Plemons, Best Supporting Actress-Kirsten Dunst, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Sound

2021 Films, Aaron Pierre, Abbey Lee, Alex Wolff, Eliza Scanlen, Gael García Bernal, Horror, Ken Leung, M. Night Shyamalan, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rufus Sewell, Thomasin McKenzie, Thriller, Vicky Krieps

Old-2021

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Old-2021

Director M. Night Shyamalan

Starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps

Scott’s Review #1,195

Reviewed November 13, 2021

Grade: B

I am always rather intrigued by any M. Night Shyamalan projects that come down the pike, whether it be a television or film offering. He has a knack for creating twist endings with a supernatural component.

Sometimes, like with The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Village (2004), he knocks it out of the park. Others are more average.

Old (2021) contains a novel and tantalizing premise that sometimes delivers and sometimes lags. It’s a worthy effort that picks up speed in the final fifteen minutes or so with a predictable conclusion I guessed about midway through, but it’s still really cool to see.

The film might have been better as a short film or a shorter episode – think The Twilight Zone.

Nothing in Old is too shocking or scary, and nothing that will make the hair on your neck stand up, but it’s entertaining and provides a message worthy of dissection.

The visionary filmmaker unveils a chilling, mysterious premise that oozes with possibility.

A seemingly happy suburban family decides to treat themselves to a tropical holiday in paradise. Prisca (Vicky Krieps), the wife, stumbles upon the exciting vacation offer online and decides to go for it. This alone should have been a red flag. Her husband, Guy (Gael García Bernal), agrees, and their children, Trent and Maddox, are overjoyed.

What the children don’t realize is that Guy and Prisca plan to divorce after the vacation ends.

The family is lavished with hospitality, food, and drinks and whisked away to a secluded beach where they relax for a few hours with other members of the resort, including a surgeon and his wife, an epileptic psychologist and her husband, and various others.

They realize that something is causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives to a single day.

They panic and try to leave the island, sometimes turning on each other in the process.

M. Night Shyamalan himself has a small role as a resort employee who drives the group to the beach and monitors them.

Filmed primarily on the beaches of the Dominican Republic, the cinematography is outstanding and quite scenic. The film doesn’t specify where the action is supposed to take place, so I guessed it was Hawaii.

The lavish mountains, roaring waves, and exquisite underwater coral sequences give the film a beautiful and calming vibe, despite the drama unfolding.

I also drew comparisons to the popular television series Lost, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2010. A group of stranded individuals faces complex and startling situations as they desperately try to flee an island.

When one character drowns and another falls to their death from a cliff while trying to leave, I was reminded that maybe the island is a force in itself.

As the title suggests, the characters begin to age rapidly. The makeup effects aren’t as significant as one might hope, and some characters inexplicably age more than others, making the whole idea feel a bit silly.

Some of the characters are written better than others, and there are some stereotypes to overlook, like the schizophrenic doctor who goes mad. His trophy wife is blonde, toned, and obsessed with remaining young. As a positive, the wife of another couple is a doctor and the husband a nurse. Many would expect the opposite.

To that end, I never felt very connected to any of the characters, and most are written as a means to an end. Their backstories are explored, but lack any depth.

The twist at the end, totally expected in a Shyamalan film, lends itself to a discussion that can be had after the movie ends. A question of medicine and playing god is the primary focus, and one character with a small role at the beginning of the film is pivotal in the final events.

Not one of his best but certainly worthy of a watch, M. Night Shyamalan continues to tickle my fancy for crafting good, twisty thrillers.

Old (2021) doesn’t come close to rivaling his classics but provides good entertainment and perhaps a bit more.

2019 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Rebel Wilson, Roman Griffin Davis, Sam Rockwell, Satire, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Thomasin McKenzie

Jojo Rabbit-2019

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Jojo Rabbit-2019

Director Taika Waititi

Starring Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson

Scott’s Review #955

Reviewed November 6, 2019

Grade: A

Jojo Rabbit (2019) is, quite simply, a satire.

This type of film, and this style of filmmaking, is not intended for all palates. The subject of Nazis and Adolf Hitler will hit too close to home for some viewers, especially considering this film is being classified as a comedy, albeit a dark one.

With this risk in mind, the film has a fabulous message, is quirky, well-acted, and a marvelous piece of work. But it is a gradual, acquired taste, and not everyone will leave theaters feeling satisfied. I sure did.

Director Taika Waititi, a Jewish man, is careful to toe the line with his story, teetering close to the edge, but never going too far overboard.

He is careful not to offend those who may have close ties to World War II, the horrific events that took place, or disrespect the scars that remain.

Instead, he teaches a lesson of acceptance, humanity, and pathos. A laugh one moment leads to tragedy and tears the next, making Jojo Rabbit quite the robust emotional experience.

The time is the 1940s, setting Germany, as Roman Griffin Davis portrays the title character, a Hitler Youth who finds out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), in their attic.

Energetic and excitable, he joins a training camp where he is unable to kill a defenseless rabbit, earning him his new nickname. Jojo slowly comes to question his beliefs while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend, an idiotic version of Adolf Hitler (Waititi).

He eventually forges a close bond with Elsa.

As the film begins, it immediately reminds me of Wes Anderson’s distinctive storytelling style. Think The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) or Moonrise Kingdom (2012).

With quick editing and fast-paced monotone dialogue, the characters initially appear silly and trite, yet offer witty responses to unusual situations. As the relationships deepen, the audience comes to fall in love with them.

Davis is an outstanding child actor and the heart of the film.

Johansson’s Rosie, the mother, is secretly anti-Nazi. She’s got flair, pizzazz, and a good pair of shoes. She states that to dance is to be alive, offering Jojo words of wisdom. They come upon a few dangling bodies perched in the center of town for all to see.

They have been caught aiding Jewish people and are a deadly symbol to present. Rosie tells Jojo not to look away, for these people did what little they could.

This scene is a poignant one.

Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell), a Nazi captain who oversees the youth camp, initially appears to be a buffoon and a one-dimensional character. He deepens as not just his patriotism, but his sexuality is called into question.

The LGBTQ angle is implied, but only lightly touched upon, so that the point remains vague and mysterious.

The Captain stands very close by his second-in-command, Finkel, and a scene at the pool will make many wonder about the proper relationship between the men.

Finally, Yorki, Jojo’s best friend, is just adorable, providing sweetness and genuine quality that is undeniably benevolent. McKenzie, as the frightened yet strong Elsa, is courageous to a fault. Stubborn and inflexible, she softens to Jojo as they get to know each other.

Her mysterious boyfriend, Nathan, never seen on-screen, plays a prominent role and is a key to the relationship between her and Jojo. The characters are an integral part of the film.

Made in 2019, a volatile time on planet earth, and especially in the United States, the film breathes fresh air into the world of inclusion and acceptance. Much of this is slowly revealed as events transpire to a crescendo.

As the war ends, several lives are forever changed, some for the better, others tragically, but each is connected to the others, enriching their respective lives.

Waititi celebrates the gifts, joys, and heartbreaks of life.

Jojo Rabbit (2019) is a film that prompts the viewer to think critically and challenges them to reconcile innocence and evil. Despite the subject matter, the film is neither cold nor harsh, and it does not disrespect history.

Incorporated are death and tragedy, mixed with learning and strong relationships.

The film is a great experience and an essential find among many routines and mainstream projects. Jojo Rabbit perks up the cinema, and hopefully the viewer, with a beautiful message.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress-Scarlett Johansson, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing