Predicting The Major 2022 Oscar Winners
3. Best Actor - Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power Of The Dog)
Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken extensively about the method he utilised to become Phil Burbank, the cold but complex rancher who dominates Jane Campion’s acclaimed The Power Of The Dog. The former Sherlock isolated himself from the rest of the cast, refraining from bathing or socialising in order to stay in the right frame of mind for the best role of his career to date.
Whatever your opinion on method acting per se, there’s no denying it worked here. Cumberbatch is exceptional in this story of masculinity turned to self loathing. He plays the terse older brother to Jesse Plemons’ George; when the latter marries a widow and takes in her young son, he finds himself lashing out cruelly, though there’s immeasurably more to the man than meets the eye at first.
Despite his fame, Cumberbatch fully disappears into the part and draws a great deal out of Phil. Campion is an actor’s director - she’s nabbed four of them nominations from this film alone, and Cumberbatch is most likely to walk away with the prize.