DIGGER is a satirical film that has its share of engaging moments

Digger (English) Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating

Director: Alejandro G Iñárritu

Digger Movie Review Synopsis:
DIGGER is the story of a man who causes historic environmental damage. Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) is a wealthy oil tycoon who ignores warnings about the environmental damage being caused by his deep-drilling offshore rigs in Greenland. One day, the inevitable happens – an iceberg named Judy gets dislodged due to the drilling. Judy is five times the size of Washington DC, according to Dr Nirav Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), Digger’s environmental scientist and key technical adviser. Moreover, the iceberg begins drifting rapidly towards Northern Europe, threatening catastrophic tidal waves, widespread devastation and a global environmental chain reaction. The news about Judy reaches US President Compson (John Goodman), who arrives at Digger’s mansion to discuss what should be done next. Rather than trying to save Europe, Digger, Compson and other influential political and military personalities try to find ways to control the narrative. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Digger Movie Story Review:
Sabina Berman, Alejandro G Iñárritu and Jez Butterworth’s story is highly relevant in today’s world. However, it’s also confusing. Alejandro G Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman’s screenplay is peppered with several satirical moments which keep the interest going. But the writing also gets experimental, and it succeeds only partially. The dialogues are acidic and funny and completely in sync with the film’s mood.

Alejandro G Iñárritu’s direction is quirky and bravura. As always, he focuses beautifully on world-building. The characters are larger-than-life and nasty, but are presented in such a quirky and satirical manner that it enhances the impact. A few scenes are hilarious, especially the President being briefed about the catastrophe and the meeting ending with a prayer, Digger blurting out the truth before the European Council, etc. Some characters also seem to be inspired by real-life personalities, which adds to the fun.

On the flip side, there’s a massive twist in the first 40 minutes that will catch viewers completely unawares. Nobody would see it coming. However, it also adversely affects the film’s impact, and interest levels immediately drop. Alejandro suddenly takes viewers away from the world he had painstakingly created and expects them to adjust to an entirely different track. Unfortunately, this track is not as immersive as the principal story. Once viewers become aware of this parallel narrative, even the principal track somehow fails to have the desired impact. Moreover, the film often gets confusing; even the niche audience and intelligentsia might find it difficult to connect with certain portions. The final scene is impactful and one finally understands the purpose behind having the two tracks. However, the clarity comes a little too late in the day.

Digger Movie Review Performances:
Tom Cruise delivers arguably the finest performance of his career, and is presented in a never-before-seen avatar. He completely sheds his safe action-hero persona and gets into the skin of a character that has to be seen to be believed. Riz Ahmed has a crucial part and is terrific. In fact, he dominates Tom Cruise in several scenes. John Goodman is deliberately over-the-top, and it works very well. Michael Stuhlbarg (Vice President), Jesse Plemons (Kenny) and Robert John Burke (Fitzgerald) do well in small roles. Danny Kirrane (Sandy Clarkson from Greenland) is there for just one scene but leaves a mark. Sandra Hüller (Emma Rockwell), Sophie Wilde (Hannah) and the actor playing Curtis’ wife get limited scope.

Digger movie music and other technical aspects:
Cosmo Sheldrake’s music is unusual and charming. Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography is highly creative and especially memorable during Digger’s monologue before the European Council. Dennis Gassner and Richard L Johnson’s production design is spectacular, while Jacqueline West’s costumes are in sync with the requirements of the characters. Stephen Mirrione and Conor O’Neill’s editing is functional.

Digger Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, DIGGER is a sharply satirical film that has its share of engaging moments but is held back by its confusing and experimental narrative. Nevertheless, Tom Cruise’s towering presence and never-before-seen avatar will ensure that the film finds a sizeable audience.