I was going to watch this last week, but after the first two movies, I was not feeling great, so I decided to skip it. That made seeing Wild Horse Nine a priority this week.
Wild Horse Nine is one of those movies that has plenty of early Oscar buzz, and I can understand why after seeing it today.
According to IMDB, “CIA agents Chris and Lee face a trust-testing mission from Santiago to Easter Island during 1973 in Chile.“
The biggest win of this movie is the tow lead cast members: Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, who play Lee and Chris respectfully. Chris apparently has a big mouth and has been letting out secret information that the people at the CIA frown upon, so something must be done.
I do like the story that this movie is telling, as the relationship between Lee and Chris is at the center of it, even if, we as an audience, are not sure exactly whether or not their relationship is to be trusted. Chris is suffering from old age as well as another diagnosis that is making him a problem after a career of success. The film does link Chris to some historical moments that help drive the story.
The film also included Steve Buscemi as MJ, the agent above Lee and Chris at the CIA, and therefore one of the big antagonists of the story. Buscemi is always awesome and this continues that streak.
The film is set on Easter Island and it provided a very cool backdrop for the espionage story going around.
I loved the writing of this film by writer/director Martin McDonagh, who is known for his work on In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Seven Psychopaths. The dialogue given to Rockwell and Malkovich is so clever and, at many times, hilarious. Everything blends together well as the different pieces of the story fall into place.
I found the entire story to be very satisfying and emotional. The characters brought the humor into the story without making it wasteful and the performances are top notch. You will be seeing several nominations for Wild Horse Nine come Oscar time.
4.2 stars
