Director Martin McDonagh knows how to make great character piece movies, and excels at comedy in dramatic situations, as proven in films like IN BRUGES and SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS. He’s absolutely one of my favorite directors working currently, but even the best auteurs can have an off day. Thankfully, his newest effort WILD HORSE NINE is among his best, and might just be one of the best films of the year, thanks to a strong cast and simple but effective story that feels like classic cinema.
Set shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). Chris is starting to forget or confuse things due to a deadly illness, and his worsening condition also leads to him talking openly about government secrets, which makes him a threat to the CIA, and leads to Lee being tasked with “taking care of” the issue. Lee has his own problems with a failed relationship to Margie (Parker Posey) and his estranged kids, who the agency may use as leverage to get Lee to carry out their bidding. Amongst the Island’s iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’s newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.
I’m not sure if it’s the 1970s aesthetic, or the beautiful backdrop of Easter Island (aka “Rapa Nui”), or just the exceptional performances from all involved, but WILD HORSE NINE put a smile on my face that stayed there for hours after. That’s not to say the movie is all humor or even a straight comedy, though it’s definitely filled with funny moments and memorable dialogue. Watching Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich play masterfully off one another is pure entertainment – this is the reason we go to the movies. It may be that I’m a bit older these days, but seeing Malkovich play Chris as a man in pain who has lived a life, but now knows his days are numbered, and just doesn’t care about keeping secrets any longer… it resonated, hit home with me in many ways. I’m nothing like Chris, but I get how he feels, and I can already imagine being where he is as the years tick by. This is a man who has done both amazing and horrible things in his life, and has decided to write his memoir, which makes his superiors quite nervous, understandably. Then there’s Sam Rockwell as Lee, someone who clearly adores and oddly respects Chris, even if he’s now a source of frequent frustration. It’s easy to connect for people who have cared for an ailing parent or friend, and all that comes with that. They’re a lot like a mismatched father and son, even if they’re unrelated, and we can see that Lee knows he’s ultimately going to have to end his friend’s pain, but just can’t bring himself to do so. This aspect of these two is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and makes it easy to fall in love with both characters. Rockwell is also more subdued here than normal, and it’s refreshing to see him play the “straight man” to Malkovich’s unpredictable wild side.
The supporting cast all do quite well, with Parker Posey making the most of her brief scenes on the phone – she is never in the same shot as Rockwell, but their back and forth phone banter makes it feel like they’ve known each other forever. Steve Buscemi is used sparingly as the CIA boss barking orders to Rockwell, and is always a welcome face on the big screen, and even Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas are smartly cast as the young ladies that keep bumping into our devilish duo. Everyone in this movie is at the top of their game, and it elevates the film superbly.
McDonagh isn’t just a master at character studies, he also knows how to use his settings to full effect, showing Easter Island for its beauty and mystery, and finding ways to allow the visuals to wow us and calm us when needed. And Carter Burwell’s exceptional score really captures the emotional beats quite well. WILD HORSE NINE feels like an old movie you love, just told in a new way. It’s smart, funny and poignant, and easily one of the best of the year, and a career highlight for both leads.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
