If the omicron does not end the human race, or a comet shatters the Earth, the 94th Oscars will be held on March 27. And it is not that we are going to see the award for the best of world cinematography, but simply for the highlights of gringo cinema (best foreign film included). Of course, like it or not, the films that are emerging as favorites are an example of a cinema that clings to staying alive, even in the midst of a pandemic that is far from over.
The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom 2021)
Montana 1925. Lost in the middle of a gigantic plain surrounded by a range of colossal mountains, there is a ranch, a kind of hamlet. Two brothers, George and Phil, run the place. George (Jesse Plemons) is mild, moderate, let’s say a reasonable man. Phil instead (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a lout, a tough, rustic guy, the archetype of the red neck a gringo who has worked hard in the fields, riding stallions and branding cattle. Life goes on more or less peacefully in the little ranch, until George decides to secretly marry Rose (Kirsten Dunst), an alcoholic and half-crazy widow, mother of a boy with effeminate demeanor and taciturn air named Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Already married, George takes Rose and Peter to live on the ranch under his guardianship. That’s where this drama takes a turn. Well, from that moment on, the incorrigible Phil will charge all his fury (of “macho draft”) against Rose and against his queer son.
one of cowboys
With an impeccable soundtrack and meticulously meticulous photography, always with the mountain range as the backdrop to that plain, which suddenly seems like an immense theater, the director unravels the daily life of both her characters and the demons that inhabit them. Characters of few words, who do not easily reveal their intentions or their emotions. In this sense, Jane Campion bets on a handful of sullen and suspicious beings (ranchers at last), who speak little but say a lot. They seem not to need words. Their expressions and attitudes patiently reveal the instincts that govern them. Although these characters are attractive at first boil, the director does not delve into them or their circumstances. Just as it does not delve into the issues addressed by the story. Topics like revenge, alcoholism, homosexuality. His is a distant look. A look that barely suggests, without caring to look further inside. Something that could certainly disappoint those who are willing to dedicate two hours of their lives to this soap opera disguised as a cowboy movie.
Proof of this is the scene in which Peter and Phil are inside a stable smoking the same cigarette. It is clear that there is an attraction between the two, but everything remains simply that, in the mere outline of two men who desire each other in silence. And until there. The director prefers to keep herself in the closet and leave the conclusion of the scene to the viewer’s acuity. Question of styles. For now The Power of the Dog, after winning the Golden Globe for best dramatic film, is emerging as one of the favorites to win several Oscars. We will have to see who can take them away.
King Richard: A Winning Family (Reinaldo Marcus Green, United States 2021)
If there is one type of movie that gringos like, it’s self-improvement movies. I mean, those stories. (biopics), that as a self-help book of the Sanborns, portray the lives of people who faced all kinds of adversities and obstacles on their way to success. Well, success seen as gaining fame and millions of dollars. Such is the case of the sisters Venus and Serena Williams, two of the best professional tennis players of all time.
King Richard: A Winning Family It does not focus exclusively on portraying the beginnings of the Williams sisters in tennis, it focuses above all on Richard Williams (Will Smith), father of both. A man who, although unsuccessful, has a clear vision of the future and a plan to achieve, according to his very particular methods, that his daughters become legends. Conflict and suspense. Greed and determination. Tears and sighs. The film contains the ingredients to retain the attention of the viewer, even one who knows little or nothing about tennis.
The problem, and we assume that this partly has to do with the fact that the film was a failure in its theatrical release, is the excessive prominence of Dad Williams. At times the director leaves out the true heroines of the story and is pleased to tell the tale from Richard’s point of view. The result is a character that is often irritating for being arrogant and stubborn. A know-it-all of sorts, we’re never told how a humble, uneducated black man gained enough knowledge to groom two future world champions. For the rest, the charisma and the tables of an actor like Will Smith, bring out the character. Although they don’t make him endearing like in other of his films, Looking for happiness, for example, they do make it bearable. Although it is a contradiction that those who should stand out for the importance they represent for the story, are mere troupe of a protagonist who seems to be shoehorned into the plot.
According to the producers, the cost of the film was 50 million dollars. A not insignificant budget. However, the bill is not fully visible. Due to its manufacture, it seems more like an independent film than one produced with the seal of the Hollywood machinery. It would be risky to expect King Richard: A Winning Family will take the night of the Oscars 2022. Of course, Will Smith’s ego could be rewarded, if not with a statuette, at least with the nomination for best leading actor. Ye of loss.
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