The Dig Movie Review

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The Dig Movie Review:

The Dig, a Netflix film that recently dropped on the platform, is a historical drama based on true events. Directed by Simon Stone, the film is set around the pre-Word War II era when a widowed woman, addressed as Mrs. Pretty (Carey Mulligan), hires an archaeologist, Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), to dig up the moulds in her large estate. From the first scene,​ The Dig sheds an old romantic vibe -- the soft background score, pale long sand lanes matching the color of the sunset. Also, for instance, when Mr. Brown rides a bicycle all along with the picturesque backdrop, to reach at a large estate, where Mrs. Pretty in her most poised self, hires him for the job, it's all very serene. As soon as Basil Brown commences his work of digging, a strong feeling of suspense grapples you, as to what could be inside those moulds which are making Mrs. Pretty sense life even after death. In no time, we are introduced to Mrs. Pretty's son, Robert, who's always curious to look beyond the sky and find astronomy fascinating.

In the most poetic sense, the director shows Mrs. Pretty's attachment towards Basil, but soon enough she realizes he has a wife and she gathers her emotions together and hides her baffling emotions from all. The dig gathers momentum and Mr. Basil starts getting lead when he finds a huge ship buried inside the soil. When people from the English Museum take notice, more people join the quest and ​The Dig ​ starts uncovering history beneath the soil. Fearing the onset of war, with fighter jets flying past the skies, every second of camera roll feels like a ticking bomb. In the second half of the film, we are introduced to more characters and the film becomes more of their story. For instance, Mrs. Pretty's cousin. The other archaeologists from the Museum and a lady.

The Dig Movie Analysis:

If you're a history buff, this film will interests you till the end. Otherwise, you might just want to fast forward some extraordinarily stretched scenes. The best part of ​The Dig ​ is that it's not overly dramatized. Every scene rolls fluidly one after the other, giving it a nice pace, just like you're reading a novel. The performances by all the actors are on point. Ralph Fiennes gives the performance of his life as Mr. Basil Brown. Carey Mulligan has strong control over her facial expressions. Even when she's shown to be very sick, and fighting with her emotions, her face looks poised and we see mounting agony in her eyes.

The Dig Movie Verdict:

Overall, ​The Dig ​ is a light-hearted watch for this weekend. You would rather want to watch it alone because of its slow pace and there's barely any humor or comic tone to it, which makes it quite a bore for a group watch. When new characters come in the second half, more attention is drawn towards them, to the extent, that we somehow miss Mr. Brown and Edith Pretty. The ending scene has my heart. Though it's very emotional, but the way it has such deep meaning to it, draws all brownie points.