Wild Horse Nine has been well received during the Adelaide Film Festival for good reason as it is an outstanding film with a very memorable John Malkovich performance.
Writer/director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Banshees of Inisherin) returns with the black comedy/thriller Wild Horse Nine re-teaming with Sam Rockwell and also this time with John Malkovich in a role that many regard as his best ever. They are joined by Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey to round out another highlight of the film releases for this year.
Wild Horse Nine begins in Santiago, Chile in 1973, months before the Chilean coup d’état, with veteran CIA officer, Chris Carlisle (John Malkovich) and his protégé, Lee Chesterfield (Sam Rockwell) being dispatched by South American CIA bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi) to Easter Island.
The aging Chris is very sarcastic about everything and no longer cares about keeping CIA secrets. At the airport, he openly mockingly warns two young female university students, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) and Alicia (Ailín Salas), who are also going to Easter Island, about the planned upcoming coup d’état.
On Easter Island it is disclosed that Chris is terminally ill with cancer with not long to live and that he suffers from memory loss. Chris in addition openly plans to write his memoir which is known to MJ who is very concerned because Chris had been involved in very high profile CIA operations. The plot then makes a number of intriguing twists as the intentions of Chris, Lee, and MJ begin to play out.
McDonagh’s script is dark and often funny, the comedy hitting with different audience members at different points. The script also contains a number of derivations and twists right up to the conclusion which makes the film engrossing. McDonagh and cinematographer Ben Davis, use the Easter Island beauty to great effect and the symbolism of the wild horses on the island is excellent. The 1970’s costumes are brilliant.
Rockwell and Buscemi are very good in their roles but Malkovich holds Wild Horse Nine together. Many suggest that this is the role for which Malkovich will finally win an Oscar for, if he does it will be well deserved because he is exceptional in this film. Posey’s performance, while short, is also first-rate along with Salas and di Girolamo. Tom Waits has a very small part which is good for the credits.
Wild Horse Nine has been well received during the Adelaide Film Festival for good reason as it is an outstanding film with a very memorable John Malkovich performance.
More information about the Adelaide Film Festival is available here:
https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org
Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
Rating 4.5 out of 5
Distributor: Searchlight
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