hockeylass-134-929537 Reviews

The Power of the Dog (2021)

A film analysts dream

[9/10 · 4 December 2021]

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.

Cherry (I) (2021)

Watch it for yourself

[8/10 · 3 March 2021]

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.

Cherry (I) (2021)

I enjoyed this film - but I know it'll be divisive

[8/10 · 1 March 2021]

You will either love this film, or really dislike it, and I very much doubt there'll be an in between owing to the subject matter and style choices - but I for one really appreciated this film and it's one that'll stay with me for quite some time.

I can't use the word "enjoy" because the story is so desperately sad overall, and some of the scenes are so harrowing that it makes for uncomfortable viewing.

The first half an hour of Cherry struggles to find its place. The longer I think on it, the more it feels like that was an intentional choice. The character himself is drifting through his life, never really going anywhere and the feel of the movie at the start is much the same. As it finds its footing though, what becomes abundantly clear is that the systems Cherry puts his trust in, fail him. And as he scrabbles to find some sense of normalcy, bad decisions lead him along a path that way too many people have found themselves down.

The Russo Brothers take a lot of stick - and I feel cannot win. It's as though film critics are not willing to allow them to move away from the blockbusters they made. Not that they want them to make those blockbusters any more either. Here, they're clearly indulging in their passions, and though I didn't like some of the style choices, and I wish they'd given Emily a slightly deeper character arc, I respect those choices and I understand why they made them.

Cinematography is everything I would come to expect from Newton Thomas Sigel, the chapters "Basic" and "Cherry" my absolute favourites. Critics have slated the script - again a criticism that I feel is a bit harsh given a lot of the text is directly lifted from the book of the same name.

Tom Holland is transcendent in this role as the titular anti-hero. To start with he acts as you would come to expect (especially if you've seen his work in The Devil All The Time) - but as his character descends into the deepest pit of despair, he knocks it out of the park. There's times you lose the fact it's actually him - by the end he's a shell of a man. He really leaves it all out there, and criticisms that he's miscast are, to my mind, absurd. Ciara Bravo is excellent too as his wife, Emily, and the supporting cast do their jobs well as wasters and chancers who enable Cherry's demise.

My overwhelming sadness by the end of the movie is stemmed from the fact that while this is the story of one man, there's so many more out there facing the same struggles, so many people out there who could so easily fall down the same hole.