Since “billionaires suck” is a theme in movies, I think that theme is still present on the site today. Because this is a real life topic: the billionaires around us and their billion-dollar decisions have impacted our communities, the way we live and the way we work. And pop culture has always been a reflection of humanity, in this case of how the inhuman are actively destroying it. If you think this is an exaggeration, read Jacob Coxon’s story that appeared yesterday.
Anyway, let’s get back to the movies and one of the many “billionaires-suck” movies that are set to come out this fall and try to grab some space in the awards circuit. I checked it out on the open site today and literally half an hour after they released the new trailer for Alejandro Iñárritu’s film. Excavator starring Tom Cruise…whose name they have to show in the biggest font: “TOM CRUISE” because they’re worried the audience won’t recognize him under all the makeup, prosthetics, etc., etc.
Tom Cruise’s Digger wears a lot of bad sweaters. Terribly bad sweaters. Sweaters that are deliberately hilariously bad and designed to be noticed – and that’s part of the larger point, in this film so far it’s clear that subtlety is not what they’re going for. Again, you won’t use Tom Cruise if you’re looking for subtlety.
Digger, Both the film and the character seem insane by design. Iñárritu has already said that the idea here is that humans are a disaster, that the apocalypse will not happen because of a meteorite, a storm or an alien invasion, but that the worst threat to humanity is humanity itself, embodied not only by Tom Cruise as Digger, but also by the asshole losers, sycophants and boardroom power brokers who share the same table with him. Like I said, not subtle.
The opposite of “not subtle” is big scope – and that’s what I appreciate here, that they seem to hit the wall, no restrictions, no holding back. And I suppose if you’re making fun of the billionaire class, a group with unbridled greed, ambition and ego whose capacity for empathy is non-existent, reflecting the storytelling style in their callous and unbridled approach to everything, including the destruction of the planet, is one way to do it.
The question now is whether it will find an audience. Although it’s TOM CRUISE in ALL CAPS, I’m not sure. Excavator is getting the buzz they’re hoping for. The film’s budget is reported to be over $125 million, and box office projections for next month are low. This doesn’t necessarily speak to the quality of the film itself, it’s more about whether people want to watch it and whether they’ll get it, no matter how cheesy it may be. There are already comparisons Doctor Strangelove, a dark comedy released at a time when critical thinking was still encouraged and nuance was still present in the discourse. Will modern audiences be able to engage with these types of films as much as the filmmakers hope? Speaking of discourse, what will Tom Cruise be talking about while promoting this film? It’s been a long time since he’s been on a press tour that didn’t involve stunts and running. But he’s definitely, at least for now, in the running for an Oscar nomination.
However, so far at the festival, several actors have delivered stunning performances – in addition to Ryan Gosling and Matt Damon, who are up for best actor with Hail Mary Project And Odyssey, John Malkovich became the leader Wild Horse Nineand Andrew Scott in Elsinore, and John Turturro The only living pickpocket in New York. Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan and Jack O’Connell are also on the list. It’s a crowded field that Tom Cruise has to fight his way through.
Shots from the excavator trailer