‘Wild Horse Nine’: A Hilarious, Heartbreaking Tragicomedy
When examining the films of Martin McDonagh, it is clear to see that there are some recurring themes that he likes to focus on. He has proven himself a master of dark comedy, and tends to fixate on morality, death, and violence to name a few. McDonagh also has a penchant for putting his characters in beautiful, often remote locales, whether that be a European town, a small town in the southern United States, or an island off the coast of Ireland. These familiar trademarks can be found across all his films, and yet they never feel stale or like McDonagh is resting on his laurels. Instead, he finds new ideas and crafts compelling stories through them and consistently proves himself to be one of our finest living filmmakers.
With his fifth feature, Wild Horse Nine, McDonagh takes us to another remote location and follows two men as they grapple with mortality and morality. It is hard not to think of his previous films, especially In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, when taking a surface level look at Wild Horse Nine’s premise. Not to mention the tone presented in the marketing feels reminiscent of both Bruges and his second feature, Seven Psychopaths. Going into this, I was a little worried that this would feel like McDonagh was just playing the hits and calling it a day. Thankfully, this isn’t the case, as the film sees him weave in these familiar themes and ideas into a darkly comedic political thriller and explore some new territory. With McDonagh’s wonderfully bleak sense of humor, beautiful photography, and some of the year’s best performances, Wild Horse Nine is a buddy comedy and a thoughtful meditation on death rolled into one, and it is simply excellent across the board.
Set in 1973, the film follows a pair of CIA agents, Chris Carlisle (John Malkovich) and Lee Chesterfield (Sam Rockwell) who are stationed in Santiago, Chile. Chris, the older and more experienced of the two, is nearing the end of his life and has been looking back on his past. He has also begun working on his memoirs, which might spill classified information about his time in the CIA. When the two are sent to Easter Island, Lee is given specific instructions to intercept any incriminating evidence from Chris. Meanwhile, Chris begins behaving inappropriately, often acting impulsively and saying whatever is on his mind. As the two explore the island, secrets are uncovered and both men find themselves confronting their respective pasts.
As previously stated, the marketing definitely had me thinking Wild Horse Nine was going to be similar to McDonagh’s earlier work. But while there are some similarities between it and his first couple of films, this feels a bit more pensive and mature by comparison. Make no mistake, the film has McDonagh’s occasional crudeness and penchant for profanity, but it also has his insightfulness and offers an interesting perspective on life and death. There may be some familiar elements at play here, but it still feels fresh and exciting to watch. Maybe it’s that McDonagh tells stories like this so well, or that he is simply able to still find new things in these themes he frequently tackles, but either way, this film is an excellent showcase of his skills as a filmmaker.
I have always held the belief that McDonagh is one of our finest when it comes to dialogue, and this film continues to prove this. It has such a compelling rhythm, and his wit is pitch perfect here. While there is plenty of violence and intrigue, the film is more dialogue heavy than I thought it would be. There are long stretches where the film is more of a two-hander with Malkovich and Rockwell, and their conversations propel the film forward. Malkovich also has a couple of monologues that are downright incredible (both in terms of writing and acting) with my favorite being one he delivers to a young student near the end of the film. The dialogue is funny, well-paced, and powerful, evoking an array of emotions throughout. McDonagh has a true gift in this department, and this film demonstrates that perfectly.
Side note: There is a recurring reference to Arkansas in this film, and I was fortunate enough to see this in a packed theater in Arkansas. The first mention of it evoked some laughs and whispers in the audience, as it took most, if not all of us, by surprise. This moment definitely added to my experience, and made the screening even more memorable for me.
McDonagh also manages to craft a story where every detail is significant in one way or another, and he never wastes a single moment of the film. Even offhanded jokes and references end up paying off, usually to hilarious effect. The one issue I had plot wise regards the small thread regarding Lee’s wife, played by the incomparable Parker Posey. She shows up a couple of times in the film via phone calls between her and Lee and the scenes are meant to evoke a few laughs and raise the stakes of the film a little. These scenes, while not bad, really didn’t do much for me and probably could have been cut. I get why they are included, but they are the weakest parts of the film for me and pale in comparison to the rest of the film. At least Posey herself is great as always in these scenes, so that makes up for them, but they just aren’t as strong as the rest of the film around them.
The real pièce de résistance of the film lies in its two central performances from John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell. Rockwell is a McDonagh regular at this point, most notably winning an Oscar for his performance in their last collaboration, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His work here is his best in years, and he acts as an excellent foil to Malkovich’s Chris. As Lee, he is under a lot of pressure, as he has to follow orders from his boss but he also wants to help Chris in his final days. You feel a slight beleagueredness in his character throughout, but he has a fire in him that drives the character throughout. Rockwell is playing more of a levelheaded character compared to the previous characters he’s played in a McDonagh film, but he still has a powerful presence and is perfectly attuned to the tone and style of the film. He continues to be a great match for McDonagh’s work, and he is absolutely fantastic here.
As for John Malkovich, his performance here ranks among the best he’s ever given. His character, Chris, is a meaty role, as he is reflecting on his life and his time in the CIA all while dealing with cancer and dementia. Throughout the film, Chris shifts between lucidity and delirium, but Malkovich has a subtlety in how he handles these shifts and it is absolutely fascinating. Some actors might go big in differentiating between these mental states, but Malkovich effortlessly flows between them and still gets the desired effect without relying on a lot of business or telegraphing. It’s quite natural, which makes the things he is pondering in regards to his past, life itself, and his inevitable death hit even harder.
There is some sadness in the performance, but there is also a boldness that Malkovich brings out beautifully. This boldness leads to some of the film’s funniest moments, as it often leads to Chris saying exactly what is on his mind. Malkovich is quite funny throughout, as his distinct vocal delivery and mannerisms are an excellent fit for McDonagh’s dialogue. He definitely gets some laughs, but he also gets some of the film’s most poignant moments, especially in the final act. The Academy might as well go ahead and start engraving his Oscar, as Malkovich gives an absolute masterclass in acting here, and is completely astonishing.
Wild Horse Nine is hilarious and heartbreaking, making for another darkly comic outing for Martin McDonagh. It is a film that largely concerns itself with death and how we reckon with our past when the end is near. It comes across rather bittersweet, with McDonagh’s dark humor mixing with the more existential aspects of the film to create an amusing and powerful memento mori. While it may draw comparison to McDonagh’s other work, Wild Horse Nine shows that there’s still new things to be found in the familiar, and just might leave you thinking about how you are spending your life.
Rating: 4.5/5
Comments