DIGGER: DIG THIS!
DIGGER: SUCCESS OF A DISASTER GENIUS MOVIE!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORTe1wW3Wg
I have always been the first one to admit about being wrong. In this case, we are “just” talking about box-office wrong as I really thought my favorite film of the year, ‘Digger’, took a punch in the face at the box office this weekend and losing a predicted $150 million. But does this mean this is not the Best movie of the year with the Best Actor of the year? Fuck No! I have been in this business for over 40 years as a journalist, a sales/acquisitions consultant, a producer, a director, a writer. I know our business inside out quite well and I have seen and lived through it all, and I’m still going! So, I know that box office result is not only based on the merit of a film but it’s a weird science of coincidences, of marketing magic, and, of customers interesting frame of mind; it’s about the mystery of “timing”. Bottom line, you can’t predict box office because you can’t predict Life, period. Now that I have rested my case with a disastrous box office result for my favorite, I insist, film of the year: ‘Digger’; let me explain, not justify as I have nothing to prove nor does this amazing film, why I think this is a pure genius one kind of a movie. Other than the sound level that could have been mixed a bit better, due to the extensive yelling (for good reason); this is a cautionary tale about our Future. Look at us, all screwed up with our greedy narcissistic approach of life. Look at us with this mess of global warming denied by so many morons people daring to call themselves Presidents. Look at us failing to save each other and praying on the Bible as if the Messiah will appear to save our lazy naïve ass! Come on, wake up! Come on, stand up! Unite and look at how amazing we are and how WE can save the World. ‘Digger’ is eager to show you the way to unity, peace and harmony if you dare to seat down and let this intriguing “Russian doll” like structured picture unveil its wiseness. It is a movie, within a movie, within a movie. It’s all about peeling the layers of the onion, putting some water in your eyes and focusing on the job at task: saving the World, saving yourself! And let’s not forget to mention the insane talent of Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu! There is some invisible “Excalibur like magic” chemistry with these two brilliant souls. There are but One. Let’s not forget to salute the brave Ladies of Camelot, Dame Pamela Abdy (ex-co-chairman of Warner – I know she is going to keep rocking Hollywood for a long run) and Dame Mary Parent, vice chairman of Worldwide Production for Legendary Entertainment. These two ladies are bad ass spirits wo gives birth, over and over, to the best Academy Awards winners for the last few years (‘Sinners’, ‘Onne battle after another’, ‘Dune’ …). Perfect oneness in creating one of the most breathtaking, mind shaking movie of the year. And that is why some of my colleagues don’t like it; because it makes you uncomfortable about your own fragile existence, your own failures, your own weaknesses and selfishness. But so, what, grow some balls and a conscious. Put your shit together, we all are Superman and Superwomen! It’s about daring to play the game of me, myself and WE. If we dare to admit: ‘I am because we ARE;’ then there is no more limitation, then we can push Death away into the next century. IF we don’t wake up, IF we don’t put our lame ego on the side; we are fried! Yes, ‘Digger’ is showing us what is awaiting humanity: a pretty sad doom like existence. But I have Faith, from the Latin verb: ‘Fidere;’ which means to Trust. I trust in We the People, in We the audience, in We: Humanity. I trust that this splendid, enchanting, nerves breaking movie will collect a few CCA awards, Golden Globes and Oscars Awards to remind us that it’s not all about money but it is all about the Human spirit (spirit coming for ‘Esperitu’ which means: the Breath), it is all about the madness of Genius to dare to rock this insane Life and to build a sustainable future for the next generations. Come on, people of the World, feel the love, dig it, rock it, Live It! Fasten your mind belt and let’s keep on surfing this life we love so much. Right?! Show me! Show yourself!!
Tom Cruise and the team of ‘Digger’ was kind enough to come to a few preview screenings. Here are some of their inspiring words:
Q: Tom, how did you feel the first time you read that script?
Tom: First, it was the most original thing I had ever read, for sure, and it made me feel such a range of emotion. I laughed, I cried, and then I thought, especially the earlier version, was going to be really hard to pull off. But I was like, you know what? It's worth trying to figure this out. We got to figure it out.
Q: Alejandro, how do you go about figuring out who the ensemble is going to be around him?
Alejandro: Let's start with John Goodman, which is a legend, and I know I'm just so glad, and I know that John will be the only person that could handle and could hold that tongue that we were after of the world we are living, and being still truthful, even when we were going high as hell, and have fun, and I think I think John is the only one. So, I knew that that was the only way, and to have something so terrifying but funny and human and love everything. You know, all these characters in a way have to. I always describe they have to have candor. You know what I mean? It was not. It was the humor that will make them alive. Sandra, I met her in 2017. I remember when I saw Tony Erman, I said, "How this film exists? I said, "This film is so. I mean, I was so blown away at the performance of Sandra. So, I met her in Cannes, and I remember I went to my niece. If you remember, and I dreamed to work with her since then. And I think I told you. I hope that we work, and we get along nicely. And this was the opportunity. And I said, I need to work with her. So, we met, and I was lucky that she accepted. And I knew that she would be an amazing couple with Thomas. It was, and then Michael Stulberg. Obviously, it's Michael has this ability to be the most lovable guy in film that he has done, as this father, you know, of Timothy and or he can be the most very dangerous person in so many roles, and he's an incredible theater actor, and he understands this world. So that kind of character that he creates of the vice president is kind of this very tricky guy. He just nails it in every dimension, and all the guys that are not here, not to talk about Riz Ahmed, which is not here. I'm very, very glad that you said exactly what you said is the truth. If any of these guys will not be in this film, this could not be sustained. I mean, you need that level to play at that level so dangerously.
Q: What was exciting to you about taking on this character and playing this president, John?
John Goodman: The script was amazing. I heard Michael was going to be in it, and Tom, who was always just phenomenal. But I knew we would rehearse in full drag and makeup. All of our equipment was there, and we took this thing to so many different iterations. And early on, I said, "Well, let's take this puppy for a test drive. We got we got a bunch of Ferraris sitting around. Well, I jumped in, and I felt as free to do what whatever I wanted, and we all grounded it. We went outrageous and stayed big and kept it real. The script allowed us to do that. Alejandro allowed us to do that. I was just thinking last time we were talking about this, about Eddie. We had all, I think, formed identical opinions about the character of Eddie, very detailed, and it struck me that there was nothing in the script about it. We all just came to the same conclusion over this this series of work because we rehearsed very intensely and with a great deal of fun, we had a ball. This is playing at its highest level, and it was like doing a matinee every day, two or two a day. And but it was hard work. But man, and with Tom, I got an amazing sense of gratitude, man. Aren't we lucky to be doing this on this level and having so much fun doing it? And it that kept me going through a lot of the hard times. You know; it probably made it 10 times harder than because that's the way I handle myself. What a gas!
