DIGGER
By Victoria Alexander
Why should Cruise limit himself to action movies? If you loved his roles as Les Grossman (TROPIC THUNDER) and Frank T.J. Mackey (MAGNOLIA), you will love his daring DIGGER.
Remember Tom Cruise’s “Respect the Cock”? Why should the biggest international movie star play the same role for 40 years?
Alejandro González Iñárritu is a strong director. He guided Leonardo DiCaprio to a Best Actor Oscar for THE REVENANT. He knows how to bring an actor to their full potential. Cruise dominates DIGGER, but he lives in Iñárritu’s world.
DIGGER is a structural masterpiece. DIGGER is positioned as a “black comedy,” but it is not directed as a comedy loaded with jokes. DIGGER gives Cruise a role far from what we expect. It gives him the freedom to dig deep into a character with total commitment.
I know we do not like our number one international movie star to play an offensive character with a potbelly, a Men’s Wearhouse suit, and unkempt hair. These features are favored by some powerful men. (It is a mystery to me that Harvey Weinstein, with the best cosmetic surgeons on speed dial for aspiring and well-known actors, refused to diet, refused plastic surgery, and refused to fix his offensive body. He had the money.
According to trial testimony, Weinstein had a relaxed relationship with cleanliness. Weinstein made everyone at Miramax ignore his walking around naked. And you had to act like you loved “suite time” with him. Devotion and complete adoration of his sexual skills could even win you an Oscar. There were competitive rallies among the ladies. President Lyndon B. Johnson was famous for holding official meetings and giving interviews while sitting on the toilet. These are only two examples of the display of power.)
AI says: “A display of power through walking naked in an office is a form of radical dominance, boundary violation, and psychological intimidation. In a professional setting, this behavior is a severe misuse of authority designed to strip others of their agency.”
Digger’s inner thoughts are made real by a silent staff. He is a multi-trillionaire who owns large crude oil rigs across the world.
Digger’s abstract, architectural masterpiece of a home is disrupted by a nasty nuisance. One of his oil rigs is severely damaged and has caused a massive ice shelf to break off, and it is headed toward Europe. Nothing can be done. This will be a catastrophe.
The cowardly Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) explains the severity of the problem to Digger.
Digger calls President Compson (John Goodman), who immediately arrives with his entire government staff. Digger has a conference room. Compson is pure Goodman. Goodman doubles down on his signature bombastic intensity. I could not understand what he said, since he said everything with grotesque vigor. Kenny (Jesse Plemons) somehow gets into Digger’s compound with a plan.
The twist comes at this point, and it is best to end here.
The spectacular production design by Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson complements Cruise’s mastery of the Digger character. He should be praised for stepping away from indulgent franchises. He’s going to make DAYS OF THUNDER 2! So, Cruise does not care about reviews, the box office, or the budget ($125 million). He’s got DAYS OF THUNDER 2, which will cover the cost of DIGGER, and there will be something left over. DIGGER is clearly the film he wanted to make. The screenplay is by Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman.
“The ALL is Mind; The Universe is Mental.”
Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic since 1998. For a complete list
of Victoria Alexander's movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes go to:
Principal Reviewer for FilmsInReview: filmsinreview.com
Member of Las Vegas Film Critics Society
Personal email: victoria.alexander.lv@gmail.com
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Author: Victoria Alexander
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