No one can plot a complicated movie bromance quite like Martin McDonagh.
The Oscar-winning writer/director explored bickering hitmen in “In Bruges” and fighting frenemies in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” The dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine” (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Nov. 6) doesn’t reach the thematic heights of those outstanding flicks, yet the same kind of delicious magnetism exists with CIA BFFs played by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell.
They face government bosses, old mistakes and their own mortality, in between a lot of snark and many verbal zingers in a movie that's clever and violent – a McDonaugh hallmark – but also hits a sweet and poignant spot as well.
There’s also an intriguing historical angle to “Wild Horse,” set just before
the 1973 Chilean coup. Eccentric CIA operative Chris Carlisle (Malkovich) and his loyal pal Lee Chesterfield (Rockwell) have left a bloody mark all over the globe doing secret missions, which is how they wound up in Santiago.
"We came down here to destabilize your democracy and it is going great,” the overly chatty Chris confesses to two young liberal college students, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) and Alicia (Ailin Salas).
Chris wants to go see the “big heads” on Easter Island, so he and Lee take a holiday that goes south. Nearing the end of his career, Chris is having trouble with his memory, wrestles with regret about his various bloody assignments and assassinations, and talks to Lee about writing a memoir of his various covert outings. That latter thought makes their uptight bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi) nervous, especially if one particular (and highly sensitive) incident becomes public.
Lee’s already pretty exasperated after calls from his cheating wife (Parker Posey), and his morphine-addicted buddy’s rogue antics and talkative nature – not to mention a paranoid Chris thinking someone’s following him – only adds to the stress. Not to mention Lee being asked to a devastating favor by his longtime friend.
Malkovich is known for his oddball supporting roles, so it’s a treat when he gets to really do his thing as a lead. And he makes a meal out of Chris, a guy who’s maddening for those around him, yet is also an absolute hoot to watch. As a man who becomes almost an unreliable narrator of his own story, Malkovich brings an amazing amount of depth and a wry sense of humor to the role, so good it’s put him back in the Oscar race. (Considering he’s never got a golden dude in his iconic career, Malkovich has a good chance to win, too.)
You get to see different parts of Chris as Malkovich bounces off his costars. The old-school spy befriends Monica, who squeezes real honesty out of the career liar, and di Girolamo holds her own with a great Malkovich. Meanwhile Rockwell plays straight man to Malkovich’s idiosyncratic wild card, and their early banter – like wondering if Nazis or dinosaurs will go to heaven – cements the core relationship before things get frayed and then surprisingly touching later.
With these two, McDonagh deftly digs into the idea that terrible things are done for the greater good, and then how amends are made for those past sins. “Wild Horse Nine” rocks some definite political thriller vibes at times, yet with the friendship angle, some of the more scintillating historical morsels get left behind. That’s almost a signature charm of the director’s films: The characters are so thoughtful and his worlds pop so creatively, you wouldn’t mind checking out prequels.
Even a pretty darn good McDonagh outing is better than most movies, and “Wild Horse” really rides when letting the dynamic duo of Malkovich and Rockwell off their reins.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Malkovich is a hoot unleashed in 'Wild Horse Nine' – Review
