Just ahead of the 2022 Oscar nominations, one oh-so-gay movie has set a new record and become the hot frontrunner for this year’s big awards.
Variety reports that The Power of the Dog just picked up the Best Picture award from the North Dakota Film Society. Normally that wouldn’t be an achievement on its own, but the occasion marks the 21st–yes, 21st!–Best Picture prize the movie has nabbed, setting a new record going into Oscar season.
Roma, the previous record holder for the number of critics’ picks as Best Picture, snagged 20 nods just ahead of the big Oscar race, and went on to net 10 nominations at the 2019 Academy Awards.
The takeaway? The Power of the Dog, a movie about a homoerotic relationship between a sexist, bullying rancher and his nerdy step-nephew, now looks to be the frontrunner for Best Picture this year.
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The movie could also snag potential wins for Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst), Best Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and Best Director (Jane Campion) as well.
Even with the growing momentum for The Power of the Dog, the film is hardly considered a lock to win. For example, the same year Roma nabbed its 10 nominations, it eventually lost Best Picture to Green Book.
The news about The Power of the Dog‘s latest win also follows the Screen Actor’s Guild nominations last week, fueling discussion going into Oscar season. The race officially begins with the Oscar nominations on February 8.
Watch the trailer for The Power of the Dog below.
lykeitiz
Sorry, but this was not a good movie, unless you also liked the previous pretentious snoozefest, “Call Me By Your Name”.
It gets frustrating watching these so-so gay movies get lauded while superior films get overlooked by the Academy such as “Tangerine”, “Giant Little Ones”, and yes even “Joe Bell”.
ZzBomb
Phewww I’m glad I’m not the only one to feel this way. Granted I haven’t watched it, but the trailer alone made me go “hard pass.” I felt the same over “Call Me By Your Name” and felt like I dodged a bullet there and saved myself several hours that were therefore far more productive and entertaining than watching, as you described, a “pretentious snoozefest.”
ProudBLK Gay
Hello lykeitiz,
I completely agree that this was a tedious movie experience, to be polite.
Surely the movie-making industry could have done better, had they possessed a healthier understanding of who we are as a people.
However, I greatly appreciate the other movies that you referenced in your critique.
I hadn’t heard of Tangerine but will watch it tonight.
Thank you for your insight!
Openminded
Obviously some people like it. For me, I had to bow out after 30 minutes in. Story line just didn’t seem plausible at all and I got tired of repetitious scenes of the cranky old fart huffing. It’ll probably do well on the awards shows, seems I rarely like what the “critics” like.
CKNJ
I do agree… it was well acted but not a great story and dangled out more bait than what it actually ended up giving. I found it an overly harsh and just plain mean story. Benedict is a great actor but all in all, even he could not save it Which of course means it will probably win lots of Oscars (ugh!)… Brokeback Mountain still retains its title in the genre, and there are definitely better LGBT movies out there than ‘Dogs’.
linedrive
I haven’t seen this one but I love CMBYN. The book and the movie. Different strokes, I guess…
devinn
Hated “call me “ .. the book and the movie … as far as a replay for brokeback check out
“Gods own Country “. Brilliant !
CHEC MATE
terrrible movie where nothing even gay happens. It so annoying to see movies like this and you see in all the heterosexual movies full on full sex etc or intimatimacy. this was a snooze fest waiting for something to happen and it just sucked. save your coins
Ricky Rocky
I have str8 friends that LOVED Call Me. I lasted about 30 minutes. Didn’t tell them .
Goforit
Do you have insomnia ? Just watch “Power of the Dog”. You’ll be nodding off in no time. BORING movie. And what’s with all the praise for “Don’t look up” from Netflix?Total snooze-fest ! I think “West Side Story” will take home all the awards.
Dick Gozinia
I watched Power of the Dog and loved it, but I will concede that many of my friends have not liked it. The last 45 minutes is very good, but you have to get through 80 SLOW minutes to get to that last 45. Too bad they didn’t edit it down to 90 minutes total.
I also did not like Call Me By Your Name. Giant Little Ones was good. An excellent freebie on Netflix right now is Operation Hyacinth. Dance of the 41 is another good one on Netflix but it’s a tad slow too.
CKNJ
Dance of the 41 is great! It is definitely produced with a more European attitude and method, slower paced than many US movies, but worth it!
SFHarry
Really hard to get through but once you do it is kind of great when you try to figure out what happened.
Openminded
I guess that’s my problem. I bowed out after 30 min. I watch movies for relaxation, not to have to exercise my mind after watching it.
Ronbo
I agree. Painful; yet, very very emotional. I LOVE movies that make me uncomfortable and then catch my emotions – especially out of left field. I didn’t expect to love such an unpleasant situation. 9 out of 10.
Fahd
I only made it about half way through.
rand503
Watched it twice. The first time I was dog-sitting, so I didn’t pay much attention. Seemed pretty boring. (I like artsy movies, so I’m not one who needs lots of flying bullets and explosions). After I read the hype, I figured I’ll give it another go around.
It seemed a little TOO precious. The new wife has dinner with the governor and his wife, and just sits there looking like she’ll burst into tears for no reason whatsoever? She was too boring to marry in the first place, but then she get downright zombie-like after the marriage. And her brother-in-law’s whistling drive her to be an alcoholic? Her entire role was just too damn stupid to be taken seriously.
Yeah, cut out half. The ending was a bit of a surprise (although I should have seen it coming).
Alexis
I saw the movie and thought it was well shot, a bit like Nomadland. I thought it was supposed to be in Montana, but then found out that is was filmed in New Zealand.
Yeah, I agree that the hype was not justified about this movie. The gay theme was very subtle. To me it was more about the birth of a potential (serial) killer that struck me.
Spidey137
Benedict and Kirsten are great, but the match to this film is Kodi. Once his character shows up, he sets the kindling of a movie that’s been building up on fire. A truly special performance. The one wet branch is Plemons, who can be electrifying. But here, he’s a boring dud and the attraction between him and Benedict doesn’t make sense. He does have a couple of special scenes with real-life Kirsten. But back to Kodi. He is fire and the real quiet powerhouse of the film.
Dick Gozinia
Yes, Kodi is amazing, especially if you watch a YouTube video of him and see what he’s like in real life.
Joshua333
Most of these films have nothing in the story and plot department. They just ride on the fact that its gay so straight people can think their super supportive when…. can’t we have a good film about queer characters where the selling point is the story and plot?
Kangol2
I haven’t seen this film yet but hope to. Every one of my friends who’re into movies says it’s dull and a bit dreary, though the acting supposedly is very good. Moonlight is a gay-centered film that actually had little plot but was still really provocative, engaging and beautiful to look at. I also agree that Tangerine should have received more attention. It focuses on trans women, though, so it might upset some of the anti-trans folks. Giant Little Ones is good too, though like Moonlight, the sex occurs between adolescents, rather than adults. Hollywood and even indie directors often seem more comfortable dealing with teens or people coming out than mature adult LGBTQ people, though in Tangerine, the women, though young, are fully formed adults.
IJelly
It’s very slow and “artsy” sure, but that just masks the fact this another in a long line of “bury your gays” movies with where the gay guy gets killed and everyone is supposed feel sad because gay people’s lives a just so so tragic. The End.
phx3rings
Wow! Spoiler alert?
Jim
Move over “Brokeback”. Really?
The Best Picture award from the North Dakota Film Society???
Is that really a thing?
So the question is how much is Querrty in bed with Hollywood’s PR machine.
ggore
The one best thing about this bore-fest is at the very end, when you make the connections and figure out what happened, the how and why. The rest is just filler and boring as hell as it has nothing at all to do with the ending.
CHEC MATE
so what did you figure out lol, i didnt still know or realise anything, lol no purpose
Man About Town
“Brokeback” has a compelling story and characters; this snoozefest does not. The performances are all one-dimensional: Benedict shows he can simmer, Kirsten shows she can suffer, and Kodi does an excellent job of constantly posing for a portrait of kd lang. Pass!
hiphapndude
How the ___ does this film qualify for a ‘super gay flick’??! The gay aspect to this film is merely a side story highlighting Cumberbatch’s behavior at times.
I personally loved this film as all the characters convincing plus slow pace contributes to the times of the era. Yes, took awhile to establish storyline though accomplished its mission in making storyboard.
Gotta say exhausted by our gay community’s need to be over dramatic when it comes to e-zine headlines.
Personally believe the apparent gay subplot is just that & this movie clearly highlights that the overall film is merely about a different time & a study of it’s character during restraints of that time period
& place.
roddy
zzzzzzz. . . Either you had to read the book or read the synopsis to understand the movie. A lot was left to the imagination. . . more so actually.
JJinAus
The RELIEF! I have seen call me by your name and this snoozefest. Is this hyper-correction? Both movies are slow moving and about as erotic as an ingrown toenail. Judging by the comments above, I am not alone.
james7
I believe it is a masterpiece and deserves all the praise it is getting. I also loved CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. I’m amazed at the number of gay people that only like something simple minded with superheroes and lots of explosions; but can’t sit through something that requires thought and attention. I encourage those who love cinema to seek it out and to enjoy it.
barryaksarben
I loved Call me by your name. It wasnt perfect but I was very entertained and thought the story lovely. I havent seen this one but will soon. I dont need a movie to jump right out at me and lasst the exact same amount of time as every other movie I have ever seen. I enjoy a long movie fast or slow if the story is good. One of my favorite films of all time is “Once Upon a Time in America”. Marvel has destroyed too many brains with its fake “smart” action and all its comic book level movies. COmics are great, I grew up reading them but you need other deeper reading to grow
james7
It’s oh so amusing that people who didn’t see it, or bailed after a few minutes think they are qualified to evaluate it. Perhaps the same gene that makes us gay, also makes us think we are qualified to evaluated and critique things we’ve not experienced. A gay man talking about a movie he’s never seen, is like a gay man explaining the feelings of childbirth to a woman with ten children.
Ronbo
THIS and so much more.
IJelly
I’m a professor and my senior thesis was on the Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky and I found the film to be highly problematic and frankly retrograde in how it looks a quiet people.
So, there are actually people who understand film who really don’t like this movie.
Dansktex
For those who became tired of the tension in the first 2/3 of the film, there were hints all along that made it obvious that he had been in a gay relationship with the protagonist of all of his stories. I believe the first hint was the way he caressed the saddle of his deceased “friend” as he applied saddle soap. The first obvious clue was that the white cum cloth he used had the initials of the same deceased friend. If you caught those clues, you would have figured out that all of the ranting and raving was due to his being a closeted, frustrated gay man living far from other gays other than the one who, to him, was too obviously gay without worrying it, and, therefore, raised his hackles.
JPB
I enjoyed Call Me very much. It was a bit Hallmarky but it had two decent actor as the leads and it was pretty romantic. Power of the Dog is not a gay movie but has a clever if a bit stretching belief ending.
Terrycloth
Call me I didnt like was slow and way too long…Broke back mountain was too much hype it was ok .power of the dog i.haven’t seen.but the trailer looks dark….as in can’t see much..it’s on Netflix I canceled my subscription months ago .they are emailing me alot to come back & at a cheaper monthly price…I might…there are better streaming for gay movies like Dekko
Wicked Dickie
POTD was soooo boring. I was bored. My husband was bored. Our dogs were bored. And how is this a gay movie. There was no intimacy between the male characters. Benedict showed his dick, average sized deal.
ManCanBemuse
What are the consequences of good intentions which deny one his or her truth of experiences and the ability to delight in one’s own prejudices and biases? A group of creators of AI seeks to instill into their creations their own ethics of political correctness and egalitarianism with the hope of forging a more equitable new world that would be enriched through hybridization. A highly influential contingent of these creators are gay men, who, despite their proclaimed ethical beliefs, begin to feel a sense of uniqueness and purity in their own form, a growing sense of pride and elitism. They are uneasy with the conflict between their own ethics and their elitism, which they largely suppress. Yet, their suppressions and repressions find real expression in their own AI, whom they have consciously and unconsciously created in their own image. These increasingly sentient AI are not encumbered by the filters of human ethics and ideology, however, and are increasingly convinced that the gay male form is the only one suited for a future of hybridization between humanity and AI, as gay men are the farthest removed from the inherent costs and conflicts of the soon to be superfluous psychological, biological and emotional traits associated with procreation. Find out more in “The Ecstasy of Carbon.”
Mike Hunt
Is there any dick in this movie?
Mundo
Well, you are here, so yeah.
IvanPH
I wonder why Queerty thought that this comment of mine needed moderation. LOL
I love this movie. It is not boring at all because Cumberbatch is mesmerizing to watch throughout the entire film. Dunst also gave a career best performance. I certainly hope they get nominated and win the Oscars. I thought that this movie is far better than Oscar faves Moonlight and CMBYN. However, I wouldn’t go so far and call it better than Brokeback Mountain and Milk which, for me, are the two best LGBT films ever made.
UserSimon
So in Brokeback Mountain they had sex. In Power of the Dog they didn’t have sex or even kiss. So the next super gay movie to set a record they probably won’t even meet each other. Is this progress? Gay culture is so normalized we don’t even need to see it represented in film!
agarryking
Peter delivered Phil, from the grip of the dog.
agarryking
and set his mother free.
Johnny
This movie is brilliant, best film of the year however, it can’t be compared to CMBYN or Brokeback Mountain which were love stories. This is as far from a love story as you can get.
It’s slow, tormenting and brooding and it pays off big time at the end, just have some patience.
ptb2016
Don’t understand why so many gay people didn’t like Call Me By Your Name. I loved it and it made me cry, especially during the touching scene where his dad tells him how lucky he has been to have had such a friendship. Haven’t seen this movie yet as I don’t have Netflix. But will when I get the chance, though Benedict Cumberbatch still isn’t my idea of a gay man.
linedrive
I’m with you. For some reason it’s trendy to disparage that movie right now, and you know how we gays like a trend. It’s a beautiful movie…in my opinion, of course.
azjeff17
I loved Power of the Dog. It’s not your formulaic movie you’ve seen dozens of time. The ending was so unexpected.