I've always known Tom Cruise as being an action star, the kind that performs various stunts in flicks like Mission Impossible and all its countless sequels. That said, I've never actually seen a Tom Cruise film, except for the first half of Eyes Wide Shut, so I also have absolutely no idea what he's like as an actor. I've never been that interested in action films, the kind where everything's blown up for the sake of it, which is why I have no clue about Cruise. That said, I did head down to the cinema to see Digger because Cruise was in it. That's basically the only draw that Digger has, come to think about it.
From the trailers, that's basically all you'll know about the film. When I saw a trailer ahead of seeing the Odyssey, I was completely put off watching Digger - it just looked stupid. However, I ended up getting more into film shortly after, and soon enough, my social media feeds were full of Cruise and Digger. By now, I was somewhat curious, not least when I learnt the director was Alejandro G. Iñarritu. He's behind films like Birdman and the Revenant, which I've heard are pretty well acclaimed, so that was a good sign. I've still not watched either.
Soon enough, I found myself bored with a pretty empty Sunday, so I decided to head down to the cinema, and watch Digger. By now, everyone was talking about how much of a commercial failure it was, how divided critics were, and now it sounded like a car crash I couldn't look away from. In fact, no, I wanted to stare into the car crash, discover how it happened in the first place. All this culminated in me spending £10.99 to see what all the hype was about, and, well, I'm glad I did.
For many different reasons.
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| Yes, Tom Cruise is Digger. |
Digger's not really about Tom Cruise as an oil tycoon saving the world from a climate disaster. That's what all the trailers had indicated. Digger's really about Tom Cruise playing an actor in a stage production about an oil tycoon saving the world from a climate disaster. Except Digger Rockwell, the titular tycoon, doesn't really give a damn about any of this. He cares way more about his oil rigs and their countless profits than about who might die from an iceberg collision. He's your stereotypical big business man, self-centred and completely delusional, the kind who thinks anything he says is right, so suck it.
Except...in a way, Digger is sometimes right. There's this scene where he gives a massive monologue about his role in the disaster, with everyone watching heckling him. His insistence on drilling has led to an iceberg colliding into Europe, all in the name of profit, and yet he says that everyone around him wants to drill. For some reason, this line stayed with me, because he's not wrong. After all, you could easily argue climate change is only exacerbated by everyone being in love with their new consumer goods, and they've got to be made somehow, no? People like Digger arguably keep us happy and warm with our new tech, the same tech we use to see how people in poorer countries struggle against climate change.
Digger, of course, is no saint, and the play makes sure of that by reducing him to a farce. That's arguably what the film really is about - how we mock those in charge, just to get a laugh out of them. Nothing will have changed by us laughing at Digger, instead the best we can do is go home and mill about our pathetic little lives whilst the powerful continue ruling like they always have. In fact, Cruise's character even points this out at one point. It also reminds me of just how awful most satires are nowadays, reducing world leaders into a punchline that is both incredibly unfunny, whilst almost shying away from how despicable some of them really are. These satires serve no purpose and are barely enlightening.
The film itself, though, shines through Iñarritu's direction. I loved how the aspect ratio changed at times, and the set design was wonderful. I laughed when I saw the sea in some scenes was literally just rolled up pieces of tin foil, adding to the play aesthetic. Tom Cruise was stellar in his role, with the monologue a massive highlight for me, and John Goodman was great as the President in the film. He sounded just like the guy currently in the White House.
There are some things I disliked, of course: the film felt like a bit of a drag at times, and I could feel two hours passing as I sat watching. It's also not the most cunning political satire I've ever seen - Digger's no Thick of It, that's for sure. However, the film itself is so unique and delightful that I'm willing to overlook all this, because I really am glad I got to go see it.
For better or for worse, there aren't many films like Digger. Sure, it's a bit of a meme right now, but it is still a pretty decent film. Well worth my money, even if I could have maybe spent that time planting a tree or something. You know, instead of watching a satire about a crisis we're living through right now.
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