Two CIA agents travel 3,500km out into the Pacific to Easter Island in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy drama, Wild Horse Nine.
The film stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as operatives working to undermine Salvador Allende’s government in Chile in 1973, serving as a quirky companion piece to the director’s 2007 feature In Bruges.
In the genre fluid movie, Malkovich plays Chris Carlisle, an eccentric and melancholic operative riddled with terminal cancer and Catholic guilt. Rockwell plays his partner, Lee Chesterfield, a spy whose loyalty is torn between his partner and his agency.
The Journey to Easter Island
The odd couple spend much of their time driving around in a battered old coupe, bickering as they take in the sights and discuss the nature of the dirty work they carry out on behalf of the US government.
Chris seeks to salve his conscience after a lifetime of murder and mayhem by writing his tell-all memoirs. As he states in the film, I’ve killed people in countries you can’t even spell.
His dying wish is to see the monolithic statues staring blankly out to the ocean. Back in the Chilean capital of Santiago, bureau chief MJ — played by Steve Buscemi — slowly loses his mind as he worries that loose cannon Chris is about to betray everyone.
The film also features Monica, who forces Chris to confront his past and draw out what is left of his humanity as they keep running into each other on the island.
Malkovich Performance Earns Awards Buzz and Features 1970s Aesthetic
Malkovich won best actor for the role at the Venice Film Festival in October, and the performance is expected to win several awards. His character blithely recounts past exploits with lines such as, Guatemala ’64, Congo ’60, Dallas ’63
and You only have to taste American cheeses once to understand why we lost Vietnam.
Directed by McDonagh and shot by cinematographer Ben Davis, the production leans into a 1970s aesthetic, with certain shots made to look like they came from Lee’s Super 8 camera. The film arrived in theaters on Nov. 6.
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