Rating of
3.5/4
Don't Be Cruel
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/23/21
Jane Campion returns to the director's chair after a long hiatus and delivers a powerful western-drama led by Benedict Cumberbatch at the top of his game, along with some excellent support from Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Cumberbatch portrays Phil Burbank, a cruel, hard and calculating man who seems to delight in making life miserable for everyone around him - from his brother George (Plemons) who he unceasingly calls fatso, to Rose Gordon (Dunst), a hotelier who George falls in love with and who he assumes is only in the relationship for the money. After a disastrous dinner with their parents (cameos from Peter Carroll and Frances Conroy) along with the governor and his wife (Keith Carradine and Alice Bruce), Rose turns to drinking to deal with Phil's subtle and not-so-subtle tactics.
Rose isn't alone, however, her son, Peter (Smit-McPhee) is also a part of the new family. While at first you could dismiss the boy as a prissy loner, out of his depth in such a rugged setting, it turns out the boy is much stronger than he appears - and quite capable of doing anything to save his mother.
While Phil may not care for many people around him, he saves his admiration for one man: Bronco Henry, the man who shaped him to be the person he is today and he is constantly telling stories (embellishing one might say) about his feats. Towards the end of the tale, we learn one final story - one that perhaps shaped Phil more than any other and one that tells us all we need to know about why it seems Phil keeps so much bottled up.
The pacing is deliberate and steady - some may think it too slow - but it keeps you riveted the entire time. Couple with some truly masterful cinematography (who knew New Zealand could looks so much like the old west?) and a sweeping score and you have one of the most impressive films of the year. There are several layers to this tale: love, revenge, anger, desire - all delivered with brilliance.
Like the best of films, this one will stick with you as the pieces fall into place, leading to a dark ending - but one with perhaps a silver lining. Hard men may think they will never bend, but they can break, especially when they underestimate their true opponent.
