Digger

Screened at Festival Theaters, Palm Springs, California

It genuinely feels more and more these days that general audiences are becoming so accustomed to the PRODUCT and CONTENT they ingest both in the theater and streaming (adults seeing children's movies; endless franchises; superhero and comic book movies), that ANYTHING that diverts from that if even the slightest is considered "weird" and a "disaster" and "divisive." None of that applies to this final release from the David Ellison-free Warner Bros, starring one of the biggest movies stars in history, Tom Cruise, who puts in one hell of a performance here, along with John Goodman. It's quite depressing honestly how audience brains are turning into cottage cheese to the point that anything remotely original is not just ignored, but also ridiculed based on box office totals and assuming something is "trash" because all those numbnuts just want to see Iron Man 26.

In reality, Digger is pretty far from weird. It's quite topical, with the subject matters of climate change, craven politicians, the greedy gazillionaires who take zero responsibility for their actions (or inactions) when it comes time to man up and be part of the solution. Everyone can relate to all of that. It's also not "weird" in its overall presentation. If you remember Iñárritu's American breakout, the Academy Award-winning 2014 film Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), you will likely feel like you're in familiar territory here as the film reveals itself over its two hours, one of my favorite aspects.

At the same time, I can understand how this would be off-putting for some. Even though this is a black comedy at its core, the aforementioned subject matter is hard to get excited for, and its exactly why I wasn't all that down with with seeing it right now. I do not blame audiences for being uninterested in this moment; one definitely has to be in the right mood and mindset. However, if you can get past that and settle in for the ride, its a very accomplished film. It's visually creative, the performances are great, its not as heavy-handed as you'd might expect, and yes, as a comedy, it is funny at times. Digger very much feels like a modern day Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb from Stanley Kubrick, with dashes of Terry Gilliam's Brazil, and the more recent Don't Look Up from Adam McKay - a great selection of satires to share equal company. Just don't assume the film itself is a disaster - not all of the right films hit at the right time. When you're ready, decide for yourself.