2021 Reviews – The Dig

If Principal Skinner was writing this introduction, he would probably say something like, ‘all upcoming readers that liked The Dig will be rewarded, with a movie review about an archaeological dig. Conversely, anyone who did not like this movie will be punished, with a movie review about an archaeological dig.’ Ah, The Simpsons; providing endless relevant quotes since 1989. But on which side of the scales do you sit? Did you like The Dig or not? And on which side of the discussion will I fall? Well, you’ll have to keep reading to find out, won’t you?!

Recently widowed aristocrat Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires the solitary Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to dig about these four mysterious mounds on her English estate, believing they might hide a burial site of some unknown ancient history. Mr. Brown agrees to it, while the further he goes along, the more troubles he encounters in his discovery, and The Dig ends up being a fascinating expedition on archaeological procedure and institutionalisation. Yet, the movie is not as serious as all that of course – there’s a marriage on the rocks, a new love in sight, and a boy who worries about a promise he made, regarding his mother. Timewise, England is on the verge of the second world war; an event that will impact the completion of the dig, and send Ms. Pretty’s cousin Rory (Johnny Fynn) away to fight. Lily James also stars, and Simon Stone directs.

Carey Mulligan, we meet again, less than a month out from her last foray in Promising Young Woman. Funnily, Mulligan played a lass around five years younger than she actually is in Promising Young Woman, and in The Dig, it seems she must play at least five years older. I wonder if Mulligan has been miscast here though, although I’m struggling to think of an actress that I would have preferred in the role instead. Truth be told, I did find it distracting, as Ms. Pretty really should be in her early-to-mid forties, making her predicament and pluck more pressing and tragic. Still, Mulligan is well-received, and opposite her, Ralph Fiennes is delightful as Mr. Brown. Knowledgeable and incorruptible, Mr Brown is introduced to us with a reputation of being a gruff customer, but he turns out to be a noble white knight, without a notable tinge of grey in sight actually. He bonds with Ms. Pretty’s young son Robert (Archie Barnes), and holds the respect of his fellow workers when a power struggle for the dig initiates. I didn’t realise how young Fiennes still is (only 57), and it’s not often I can remember him in a role where he is this admirable, and certainly never this compassionate – he is mostly known for movies like the Harry Potter franchise and Schindler’s List after all, and other movies I remember him in, like A Bigger Splash; those movies do him in, as at the very least, The Dig shows off Fiennes’ versatility.

The Dig contains a lot of transitions where characters stand alone in contemplation, reflecting on their own predicaments, where the most common distraction comes from fighter planes in training, frequently flying over the English property in preparation for the looming war. The movie is easily most enjoyable when Ms. Pretty and Mr. Brown are shown to be on the same page, connecting over their passion for the archaeological project before them, and becoming friends. The movie credits Ms. Pretty and Mr. Brown’s effort at the end of the film, as being the basis of a true story coming from true events, but it seems the dig itself is not large enough to sustain the movie. Around the half-way mark, a more swooning melodramatic direction begins to dominate; Peggy Piggott (Lily James), one half of a married pair who come onsite to help speed along unearthing a great discover, takes over the movie’s driver’s seat, and we actually go a little while without spotting Mr. Brown. It’s here, that I think The Dig neglects an obligation to unify diverting strands of storyline, in an ineffective way, and the movie’s contents feel like they are presented as if they were tipped out and spooled across a table, like buttons. Detours into the personal lives of our side-characters might have been unnecessary even, because there does seem enough thorough characterisation between Ms. Pretty and Mr. Brown to sustain a compelling narrative alone, if given a chance. Sorry, Lily James, I ragged out your movie Rebecca last year, and I’m putting down your significance in this movie equally – it’s not you, personally; you’re lovely.

Ultimately, who will love this movie? People who watch Downton Abbey, I presume. The Dig, like a Sunday cruise around the countryside, is simple and breezy. I hold the shallowness of the production’s routine drama against it, although The Dig is interesting enough for a lazy midday movie, and entertaining enough to get you by. A short and sweet review for today, as I don’t see really much substantial to discuss – if you’re curious about digging, and you can take a melodramatic flare, then The Dig is for you. So, as I asked in the introduction, on which side of the scales will I sit on concerning The Dig? I’m pretty close to centre.

3.0