Neil Young has said that Tom Cruise’s divisive Digger is the “best film” he’s ever seen, and encouraged fans to ignore the negative reviews it’s received. (NME report)
Digger was co-written and directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) and follows oil tycoon Digger Rockwell (Cruise) as he tries to save the lives of thousands from an environmental disaster that he’s behind. The satirical black comedy also features plenty of genre-twists which divided critics, who largely panned the film.
The movie has struggled at the box office. During its opening weekend, it took just $20million against a production budget of $160million, setting it up to become one of the biggest flops in Hollywood history.
However several artists have praised Digger. Anne Hathaway called it “smart, trippy, aggressive, funny and ambitious” in a glowing review on her Letterboxd account and Neil Young has shared a lengthy blog post where he calls Digger the “best movie I’ve ever seen.”
“None of the reviews I have read describe this film adequately, in my opinion. They seem to miss the overall effect and most of them are negative,” he wrote. “This film lives in a world of art. It is its own best review. Don’t read any other reviews and forget this one before you see Digger.”
He went on to say that it would be “misleading” to view Digger as your typical Tom Cruise blockbuster. “I do not view this film as a commercial venture. Rather it is an artful film of our times. The things that are said in Digger are a direct reflection of today’s political and social world. The film is so full of artful expression and radical change ups, that it may be too much to take in for those expecting a commercial film like we are used to today.”
He described Digger as a “must see for those frustrated by the lack of genuine engagement present in much, if not all, of today’s offerings,” and encouraged fans to see it with “an open mind”. “Stick with it when you are sure it is no good. Stay. Don’t be confused by its approach. This is the greatest film – work of art I have seen, and that’s just my opinion,” he continued. “You must stay open and see it. Forget everything I said.”
