The Power of the Dog

Jane Campion is a good director, but she needs better scripts. Somehow she always ends up with crude and thick sentiment, something she fiercely counters by focusing on mood. And she gets away with it, but only barely. The fact that The Power of the Dog is still a decent film, despite its many flaws, is all Campion, but it doesn't make for great cinema.

Phil and George are two brothers who run a farm together. Phil is a true cowboy, George a distinguished gentleman who wants a more comfortable life. He finds that with Rose, a widow with a teenage boy. She comes to live with Phil and George, but Phil consider her an intruder and makes life hard on her.

There's quite a bit of non-verbal communication and the styling is impeccable (though very safe and predictable), which adds to the intrigue. The characters are cardboard though and some performances (Dunst, Cumberbatch) come off incredibly overdone and forced. The result is a decent drama, though would've been a lot better if the drama itself hadn't been so obvious and in-your-face.