Tom Cruise has hung off airplanes, performed crazy motorcycle jumps and run around the world for our cinematic entertainment. Yet somehow, loving on a dying cat and doing a stirring 10-minute monologue seems more impressive.
Playing eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell in director Alejandro González Iñárritu's dark comedy satire/disaster movie “Digger” (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Oct. 2) is an intriguing trajectory for someone who, for the past decade or so, has seemed like the world’s most famous stuntman. Wearing facial prosthetics, a faux beer belly and a Texas-sized twang, Cruise pushes his own considerable boundaries and reminds that the dude can still put on an acting masterclass when he wants.
Surrounded by a knockout supporting
cast, Cruise is the best thing about Iñárritu's latest effort, a socially conscious cautionary tale that can’t quite nail all of its lofty ambitions.
The aging Digger adores power and his cat Maggie, and neither of his loves are exactly doing well. He gets the news that his dying feline companion could go within weeks or even minutes, and he juggles a vet’s house call with being informed that something has gone catastrophically wrong at a drilling platform in Greenland. A gigantic ice shelf has broken off a glacier and is headed toward Europe, where the results will not be pretty.
Everybody freaks out, from Digger’s stressed-out environmental scientist Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) to the oil man’s buddy President Compson (John Goodman). Compson, whose cabinet is filled with hotheaded military types and evangelical yes-men, wants Digger to take care of the issue before thousands of lives are lost. Digger – be it to his credit or his brash cockiness – takes responsibility, albeit with plenty of political spin, in his own oddball way. He’s serious when it comes to family legacy, holding on to it for dear life, no matter what the human cost.
There’s an over-the-top, theatrical flair to “Digger” early on, with humorous “Dr. Strangelove” vibes. Ailing puppet cat Maggie is played for laughs, as are many of the feckless weirdos in Digger’s orbit. There is also a major reveal (a huge spoiler that we'll avoid here) that changes the film’s entire perspective while also deepening its themes. The shift is jarring when it happens but mostly works, plus doles out provocative thoughts to chew on as the credits roll.
“Digger” likely won’t be the cup of tea for those Cruise fans who enjoy the more rousing offerings in his filmography, like a “Top Gun” or a “Mission: Impossible.” Digger is one of the more unlikable Cruise roles in his catalog, and it’s the most he’s fully immersed into a character since his gleefully wild cameo as volatile studio head Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder.” (For an actor in such great shape, Cruise has a gift for paunchy guys.)
While Digger is an absolute piece of work, Cruise’s inherent charm breaks through, like when Digger attempts to get Ganesh to try some of his ridiculously expensive tuna on a private jet. You never actively root for Digger, but Cruise makes sure you’re at least invested in his emotional life.
Iñárritu has surrounded Cruise with fantastic fellow thespians that all play well off him. Ahmed is divine as his frequent foil, the increasingly exasperated (and inebriated) Ganesh who acts as the audience’s surrogate for exploring Digger’s world view. Sandra Hüller is an inspired choice as Digger's sister Emma, who runs a more environmentally friendly aspect of the family empire but has her own issues.
Goodman and Michael Stuhlbarg are aces as the self-preserving president and his more level-headed vice president, while Jesse Plemons and “Talk to Me” breakout Sophie Wilde are standouts in the aforementioned part of the movie that it’s best not to know about ahead of time.
“Digger” crafts an unorthodox, complicated narrative with colorful archetypes that reflect the power players in our own world, so their goofy semi-villainy leans amusing and a little depressing. It might also prove divisive for audiences, which could keep a deserving Cruise out of an ultra-competitive Oscar race.
Iñárritu does give the movie heart, however, and with his star really going for it in a fashion he hasn’t in quite a while, one can at least appreciate its earnest aims.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In 'Digger,' Tom Cruise takes a wild swing worth seeing – Review
