DIGGER — And the Oscar (FINALLY) Goes To…

Review by Steve Barton II

Why is it that whenever a worldwide issue occurs (outside of natural disasters) a rich and powerful person is always the culprit? Is it because they become blind to the ethics in favor of the all mighty dollar? Or is it purely just about wielding and abusing the power they have where they even get a “god complex”? If you take a look at the current economic crisis we’re all currently in, you’d come to the conclusion that it’s a disgusting concoction of both! Alejandro Iñárritu is a filmmaker who worked his way up from the very bottom to become the first Mexican born director to be nominated for an Academy Award, so he’s seen class division and power imbalance on all levels. In the case of Iñárritu’s new film Digger, we follow the world’s most powerful tycoon Digger Rock (Tom Cruise) as he’s trying to solve a catastrophe that he himself caused with his business dealings. Will Digger and his ignorant team of politicians, military leaders and rich elites save the world and will it be for the good of humanity or themselves?

Iñárritu kept his cards to his chest while promoting Digger and what it’s about and it’s better for it. Many people had their theories from the trailers and other promotional materials, but it’d be truly shocking if anyone got it 100% right. From the trailers, most cinephiles will have flashbacks to the first time they saw Kubrick’s 1964 masterpiece Dr. Strangelove, but there's more than meets the eye. It’s rare today that trailers don’t throw all their best moments at you to sell tickets, but Iñárritu trusts his audience will show up. The surprises that Alejandro kept secret will be divisive among all audiences but it certainly helps paint the broader picture.

Tom Cruise has been nominated for an Academy Award three times for his acting and Digger Rockwell may finally earn him his elusive trophy. Tom has played off-kilter characters before whether it was more of a subtle crazy like Vincent in Collateral or eccentric and insane like Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. Digger Rockwell somehow falls smack-dab in the middle of that graph with having some subtle moments of classic Tom peaking through, but it’s mostly him turned up to 11 and giving his best performance at the age of 64! While being easily one of the most in-shape 64 year olds ever, Tom is playing his 65 year-old character with heavy prosthetics, grey hair and a horribly out of shape body. Digger as a character is an annoying, ignorant, self-aggrandizing and out of touch rich man with all the power.

The look and feel of Digger is quite the spectacle and highly deserves the big screen treatment! The screen aspect ratio changes at times throughout the film, but unlike many of its contemporaries it’s motivated by the story itself. The changes of style could be confusing to a casual viewer, but their purpose is quite the opposite. As the worlds around Digger and his story change, so do the visuals and the surrealistic nature of it all. Much of the film has a healthy mix of practical and digital effects, especially with the make-ups on both Cruise and the incredible John Goodman in the later part of the film. Digger’s decaying cat also seemed to be a puppet of some sort for most of the film, but it did look real enough to pass as a sickly cat who is past its prime by 15+ years.

Digger is a surreal dark comedy/satire centered around politics and how the rich folks are usually the problem, but act like the solution. Tom checks all the boxes to earn his trophy, but his supporting cast helps elevate his performance to even higher levels. Goodman is perfect as the corrupt president and Riz Ahmed as Doctor Ganesh brought the sarcastic tone that delivers more into the silly tone. Digger has the bones of Dr. Strangelove, but touches on more modern issues plaguing our world like energy depletion and climate change. Digger may not find its audience right away, but it may become a well-deserved cult classic that brings an experience unlike many others.

Digger will burst its way into theaters starting October 2nd!

Rating: 4.5/5