The Dig, Wolfwalkers, and Carey Mulligan vs. critic
Two films rooted in historical and mythological pasts, plus culture notes about that Variety review
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss The Dig and Wolfwalkers, two films — one Anglo, one Celtic — that look back in time.
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04:16 The Dig (2021), new to Netflix, is a reimagination of the true story of the excavation of a 7th-century medieval burial ship of an Anglo-Saxon king.
That discovery was the greatest artifact find in modern UK and probably European history, confirming that Brits could trace their heritage back to great Anglo-Saxon kings and warriors, people who had culture and language and dazzling treasure.
This retelling of that real historical event is told through two protagonists, landowner Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) and excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes). World War II looms menacingly in the background, creating a sense of urgency driving the team of excavators and archaeologists. Meanwhile, Pretty is dealing with issues of mortality herself. These ideas — time, history of human existence — are both awe-inspiring and overwhelming, the thought that one’s individual life right now is just a tiny grain of sand in the grand course of human history.
The way this film is directed adds to that feeling of looking back and remembering: audio voiceovers play independently over visual scenes, making it seem like the words and the moving images are different retellings of the same memory.
It’s a film that resonates with our current moment in time, in which we ourselves are living through history.
Two accompanying critical works to read: Bilge Ebiri’s review for Vulture and Jo Livingstone’s critical essay on how The Dig and Ammonite may or may not “fetishize Britishness.”
22:12 Wolfwalkers (2020), streaming on Apple TV+, is an animated children's film about Irish folklore, family, sisterhood, nature, and the oppressive forces of colonialism and Christianity.
Yes, children’s movies can have depth, too!
Thematically and narratively, Wolfwalkers shares a lot of similarities with the Studio Ghibli classic Princess Mononoke, which also features a girl, raised by wolves, protecting her forest home from the industrial terror of humans. (Between you and me, Mononoke is the better film, although it should be noted that that picture is definitely more adult.)
Here, the added layer of the English colonization of Ireland, as well as Christianity vs. paganism, ground the film in a more essentially Irish context.
The best thing about Wolfwalkers is probably the animation: inspired by 17th-century woodcuts and Irish folklore, there’s a beautiful hand-drawn sketchbook quality, as well as vibrant colors, sense of constant fluidity, and storybook charm. Going to quote Bilge Ebiri again here:
Anyone who has longed for a return to the days of hand-drawn animation won’t just feel charmed by Irish directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s Wolfwalkers, they’ll feel saved. There’s no shiny, metallic sense of perfection or — God forbid, realism — to the imagery in this beautiful fable about a young girl discovering acceptance and adventure among the wolves. Instead, it’s the old magic, the one that captivated so many of us when we were kids and continues to do so: genuine drawings (and brushstrokes, and tapestries, and woodcuts) come to life, like an errant act of imagination made real.
There are some weaker points to the film, most notably some of its voice acting as well as some frustrating storytelling moments, but overall, it’s a solid pick if you like animation, folklore, or just need a decent film to put on for the kids.
35:16 Plus, culture notes about a truly embarrassing clusterfuck in which Variety threw a freelance critic under the bus because Carey Mulligan took issue with his review of Promising Young Woman.
It’s a tale as old as time:
Freelance critic Dennis Harvey wrote a fairly positive Variety review of PYW in which he (perhaps clumsily) wondered about how well Carey Mulligan fit the role of femme fatale, given her history and style of performances.
Mulligan publicly called it out (twice), saying: “It felt like it was basically saying that I wasn’t hot enough to pull off this kind of ruse.” It became a mini news cycle branded under feminism, etc.
Variety apologized and appended a note at the top of the original review that veers right into obsequious: “Variety sincerely apologizes to Carey Mulligan and regrets the insensitive language and insinuation in our review of “Promising Young Woman” that minimized her daring performance.”
(Harvey defended himself in an interview with the Guardian, saying, “I’m a 60-year-old gay man. I don’t actually go around dwelling on the comparative hotnesses of young actresses, let alone writing about that.”)
A few things:
What Harvey said concerned typecasting, not saying Mulligan wasn’t hot enough for the role. Where is the reading comprehension???
Stars are increasingly showing their fragile egos, seeming to think it’s equal play and a balance of power to “clap back” at critics who are mostly paid like $200, max, per review, and who face massive amounts of harassment by wild fanbases if they are even slightly critical of a celebrity’s work.
It’s not entirely surprising that Variety, an industry trade publication, is desperate to maintain its access to celebrities, but still, the ease and speed with which they disavowed their freelancer’s words (which, like… if they thought it was so insensitive, shouldn’t an editor have caught that?) in favor of kowtowing to a celebrity is lol
Bonus links
Netflix is finalizing a GameStop stock movie… Noah Centineo is starring… the guy who attributed the whole thing to incel energy is consulting… I’m sick…
On the other side of the good/bad news spectrum, Min Jin Lee’s excellent novel Free Food for Millionaires is getting the TV treatment!
Attn: pen15 fans:
Red alert!!!!!!!
Time for a So Weird rewatch on Disney+!!!
On aspirational nothingness, of which Netflix and streaming content certainly plays a role.
Finally:
Okay bye!
— Jenny
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Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu