Ignore the trailers and the mediocre Rotten Tomatoes score, now at a saddening 53%, and go see “Digger.” The latest film Tom Cruise produced and starred in is perhaps the weirdest and most bizarre film the actor has done in his over 45-year career in Hollywood.
But with Academy Award winner Alejandro González Iñárritu directing and writing and such an experienced and well-regarded crew working on this movie, how is it perhaps one of the biggest financial disasters and box office flops in recent history?
Promotional material and trailers came from about one-third of the film, with entire scenes and aspects of it completely fabricated for the trailer. It was a complete misdirect used to protect the artistry of going to see this movie blind, and likely a root cause of the film’s financial disaster, as it’s set to lose over 245 million dollars over the course of its theatrical run. Some people even thought the secrecy was to hide the fact that the movie could be a secret musical.
Tom Cruise plays billionaire Texan oil tycoon “Digger Rockwell,” a potbellied, balding man with a thick country-bumpkin accent — a heavy departure from what you’d normally see the actor in. The film portrays Digger as the only one able to stop a global catastrophe, with help from the close-minded and seemingly overly patriotic U.S. government.
It features stellar performances from Emmy Award-winning John Goodman as the raging and senile President Compson, and Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed as Digger’s stressed but levelheaded head of Environmental Safety.
The film’s biggest strength and perhaps its biggest weakness is its satire. The film uses a stereotypical “dumbed-down and ridiculous political guy” feel, similar to what you’d see on stuff like SNL or any satire on political figures.
It reminds me of how much praise Will Ferrell gets for playing George W. Bush on SNL or the millions of Trump impressions you see on a regular basis.
Sure they’re funny, but does it take away from the actions of the actual people these caricatures are based on? “Digger” comes across as a critique of overreliance on being outspoken but taking no action.
The original title of the film, Iñárritu said, was “‘Blah, Blah, Blah.’ A reference to an incredible, terrifying weapon that we as humans have, which is the tongue.” He said, “It can change your perception of the reality that your body is experiencing. It can make you believe in something that you don’t see.”
Satire in the world is only becoming so prevalent. While it may seem like the world we live in now has gotten so ridiculous that any sort of satirical jab can actually seem pale and not too far off from reality, it seems satire has devolved from nuance into harsh characterizations of political figures, which speaks to how much we as a society value putting a face to an issue and blaming them instead of taking any accountability for ourselves.
The film’s actions and worldview challenge that thought, showing that engaging with a post on social media, or going to protest for change, isn’t enough. We need to lobby our politicians, make choices about our spending and petition for real change. Words are words; actions are actions. Are we really prepared as people to sacrifice our comfort for true change?
“Digger” is very polarizing and uncomfortable at times, but does sometimes have levity, as the topic of global warming has already been a point discussed for decades. Digger presents many different satires of different perspectives and showcases that perhaps art and culture aren’t enough to save the world. How scary is it that the world is in the hands of what the media portrays as utter buffoons?
See “Digger” yourself and form your own opinion, as the film is one that can have different meanings depending on your own interpretation.
