DOMINION

2017 / 110 min / color

Dylan Thomas (played by Rhys Ifans) is one of the more enigmatic figures in the world of the arts. He’s revered as a poet, but not easy to understand as a person. He had an immense, undeniable talent, but also many defects of character — in particular a penchant for alcohol abuse. The existing biographies of the Welsh poet show how difficult it is to conclusively define what he was really like. Steven Bernstein’s film doesn’t attempt to fill this void, focusing instead on the final day before his death at age 39. Dominion takes place during Thomas’ time in New York, where he was on a tour designed to revive his career and shake off his reputation as a scandalmonger. In a series of flashbacks, we get to know Thomas through the important people in his life – his wife Caitlin (Romola Garai), Dr. Felton (John Malkovich), and his friend and New York mentor John (Tony Hale). The fragmented narrative pieces together an ambiguous portrait of an outsider, and documents his premature farewell to the world.

• Tallin IFF – Best Actor (Rhys Ifans)