‘Downtown Owl’ Review: Lily Rabe Turns Anti-Hero in Puzzling Chuck Klosterman Adaptation The Wellington-born filmmaker is drawn to characters - artists, but not always - who make beautiful homes for themselves in the middle, even if the rest of the world simply assumes they must be lost. From “Sweetie” and “An Angel at My Table” to “Bright Star” and “Top of the Lake,” nearly all of Campion’s work is pitched along the nebulous border that runs between desire and self-denial, genius and insanity. The shiv-like stealthiness of Campion’s approach may stem from the 1967 Thomas Savage novel on which “The Power of the Dog” is based, but it perfectly suits a filmmaker who’s long been fascinated by how weakness can be force’s most effective sheath. Now, the “In the Cut” auteur returns with a poison-tipped dagger of a Western drama wrapped in rawhide and old rope a brilliant, murderous fable about masculine strength that’s so diamond-toothed its victims are already half dead by the time they see the first drop of their own blood. Jane Campion has kept busy enough in the 12 years since her last feature-length film, but her ice-blooded “ The Power of the Dog” leaves the distinct impression that she spent every minute of that time sitting in a dark room and sharpening the same knife. Netflix will release the film in theaters on Friday, November 19, and on Netflix on Wednesday, December 1.
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
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