miner
Director: Alejandro Iñárritu
Mould: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Huler, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons
Rating: ★★★★
To call Alejandro Iñárritu’s Digger will be the most daring and innovative mainstream film of the last several years, being criminally naked. Nothing can prepare you for Tom Cruise’s return to acting after years of stardom. The film is an indictment of the West’s indifference to the climate crisis, as well as a sharp dig at the capitalists America likes to deify. At its core is a Strangelove-esque brave satire that goes off the rails on several occasions, but always finds its way back to shock, shock and stun the audience.
What is Digger about?
Digger is described as the richest man in the world, attempting to convince the world that he is the only person who can save them from the crisis he has created. The marketing of the film has been a bit vague, with not much being revealed beyond a certain point. And I refuse to do anything. What Digger is and how it’s handled is worth seeing, not telling. Basically, the film is about Digger Rockwell, an oil magnate who has caused a massive ecological disaster but refuses to be crucified for it. But it’s also about Curtis, a man who is introduced to you in the middle of the film, and his struggles are more connected to Digger’s than anyone can see.
sarcasm on the American way
The best satire is always indistinguishable from reality. We live in a time where New York Times headlines can be read as The Onion spoofs. Digger is a film for these times. It says a glacier caused the tsunami, which is a terrible joke just weeks after the ice caps caused floods in Nepal. But as I said, satire doesn’t predict the future. It analyzes the past and criticizes the present, because it all has a pattern. Such disasters have happened before, and Digger knows that if left unchecked, they will happen again. This is nothing to worry about, certainly not if the world continues to ignore the pleas.
But Digger is more than just satire. It also holes a hole in the American lifestyle. It shames the West for its indifference to climate change, it mocks the capitalists who built the country, and it warns administrations that cling to power at the human cost. Not surprisingly, most American critics did not like the film. Distinguishing sarcasm from a personal attack requires an enormous amount of self-awareness, and most of us aren’t quite there yet.
An ‘excellent’ drama, advanced by Tom Cruise, John Goodman, Riz Ahmed
Digger’s story is staged like a play with long uncut shots, choreographed movement throughout the frame, and elaborate sets. Why Iñárritu chose to tell the story this way is revealed in the film. But this not only adds to the beauty of the film, but also adds to its strangeness. Digger always feels like a fever dream, but has the potential to hurt you in real life too. It helps that the performance is top notch. Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances in years, bringing out the scorn, arrogance and sheer indifference of a billionaire who is only concerned with money. His 10-minute monologue is a masterclass in staging, framing and choreography where actor and director collaborate to deliver a memorable sequence. Helping him represent the decline of modern society is John Goodman as the American President who wears a red tie, eats burgers in the Oval Office and has memory problems. Combining the worst elements of Trump and Biden, Goodman’s presidency is an SNL-like spoof of the American executive, and the veteran actor delivers the outrageous accent with brilliant ease.
Another standout performance in this zany film is Riz Ahmed. As climate scientist and Digger employee Dr Ganesh, he brings sanity to the picture, channeling the common man’s frustration with the powers that be, and helps us feel redeemed when he bursts onto the screen, confronting Digger and then blaming him. Her scenes with Tom Cruise and Goodman are comedy gold, with Riz never delivering a single punchline or even making a face.
always gets back on track
Digger tests your patience. This is not a perfect film. At times, when you’re immersed in the story of Digger and Judy (Glacier), Iñárritu pulls you back and asks you to focus on Curtis instead. You wonder why the director is taking you away from an interesting story. The payoff comes late in the film, long after you’ve had enough of the back-and-forth. Thankfully, the talents of Iñárritu and a powerful cameo from Jesse Plemons help get the film back on track, and how.