The Dig

Director: Simon Stone

Writer: Moira Buffini and John Preston

Starring: Carey Mulligan (in the starkest contrast from her last performance in Promising Young Woman), Ralph Finnes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Archie Barnes

Reason for watching: new release

Number of times I’ve watched it: first time viewing

***

I’ll let you all in on something personal. While I was growing up my Mom watched a lot of this genre, British period pieces. And like any little kid whose mom has control of the TV, I grew to hate the genre. I wanted action or jokes or a thrill. But my Mom wouldn’t budge. We had to cut deals with her to get her to watch something else. My brother and I promised to watch the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice if she would one episode of Spongebob Squarepants. We watched the whole movie. She couldn’t get through five minutes of the ten-minute episode of the sponge who lived in a pineapple under the sea. But enough about that. I feel like I’m ripping on my Mom’s personal taste. And that’s not good because I really enjoyed this movie, and I have my Mom’s influence to thank for that.

This is a deliberate and well-done movie. It revolves around an excavation being done on Mrs. Edith Pretty (Care Mulligan)’s property in the late 1930s with the work being led by Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) and Peggy Piggott (Lily James). They discover a rare ship buried in a man-made mound, and the excavators show themselves to be a unique group of people with different needs and personalities. This is a terrific cast. No one stands out above their peers but we get a lot of people doing good work here. Mulligan, Fiennes, and James all have unique characters who you can root for. The backdrop of World War II looming large makes for a tense place for our heroes. We watch them all endure their personal challenges with strength and resolve too. I want to praise the cinematography as well, and the strong acting of Archie Barnes who plays Ms. Pretty’s son Robert. The spectacle as the team slowly unearths this ship and its treasures is pleasant as well. It’s like staring at a grand canyon or a beautiful beach. Looking at a peaceful, secret garden would be a more apt comparison. It’s not meant to impress you with its vastness.

It’s not without flaw though. The story can feel a little thing as we only have so much time for all of our characters, and Ms. Piggott doesn’t show up until halfway through the second act. So her arc feels rushed. Despite the amount of time that our three main leads get to show off their skills and character growth, it leaves little room for us to get attached to the background characters.

All in all, it’s a good and quiet movie for a Friday night. Check it out and you’ll enjoy it.

7/10

Until I see another one.