Dear friends,
Today’s top pick is a Western about cattle ranch owners in Montana. But, as tax considerations would have it, the movie was shot entirely in New Zealand.
What a time to be alive. I wish you a great weekend.
OUR TOP MOVIE THIS WEEK
The Power of the Dog
New on Netflix 🍅 rating: 95%
This star-packed Oscar-hopeful from Netflix stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil, an unstable and angry ranch owner in 1920s Montana. His brother George, played by Jesse Plemons, is a kinder, more thoughtful person who marries the similarly amiable restaurant owner Rose (Kirsten Dunst).
Phil doesn’t take well to Rose, and even less to her son, a sensitive teenager who Phil mocks for not being “manly” enough. The dynamic between the brothers deteriorates, as more is revealed about the sources of Phil’s anger.
It’s a slow-burning drama that’s well-shot and well-acted. Director Jane Campion uses the western set-up almost as camouflage: the movie is really a study of timeless themes like identity, desire, and ego.
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