Guy Maddin’s “Rumours,” a satire of the impotent inefficiencies of global leadership, is nuts.
That’s both a compliment and a criticism. It’s a withering satire and a horror movie. Maddin, working with co-directors Galen and Evan Johnson, makes a good point, and he makes it over and over. But he makes it with his trademark absurdist humor, and the cast is so talented that it takes what are intentional stereotypes and runs with them.
I was happy to follow.
The film takes place at a G7 summit in Germany, led by Hilda Orlmann (Cate Blanchett), the German chancellor. The leaders of Canada, France, Great Britain, Japan, Italy and the United States are there as well. To begin, they gather outside a castle for one of those photos you always see from these things, and you wonder what they actually do there.
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What is Guy Maddin’s ‘Rumours’ about?
“Rumours” doesn’t provide much of a realistic answer. If only these meetings were this much fun. Although it wouldn’t be great for the future of the planet.
The ostensible purpose of the gathering is to craft a joint statement about … whatever. The more generic, nonbinding and generic, the better. (They pull out one from a previous summit regarded as the epitome of such statements; it is a hilarious collection of anodyne cliches and New Age nonsense.
Before they get down to the hard work of hardly working, Hilda takes them to an archaeological dig on the grounds. This delights Sylvain Broulez (Denis Ménochet), the pompous, pseudo-intellectual prime minister of France. He’s writing a book about burial traditions, he explains. It’ll probably be about as interesting as all your other books, Edison Wolcott (Charles Dance), the president of the United States (with a British accent), says.
In the grave they’re digging up is a body a couple of thousands of years old, a “bog man.” They find these from time to time, Sylvain explains. They were probably leaders who were sacrificed because they couldn’t bring about a successful crop, or some such disappointment.
Properly grossed out, the group wanders back to lunch. It’s as if the leaders of the free world were set loose at summer camp. Maxime Laplace (Roy Dupuis), the Canadian prime minister, is embroiled in scandal at home and miffed at the summit that Cardosa Dewindt (Nikki Amuka-Bird), the British prime minister, doesn’t want to reignite their fling from a previous summit. Which is fine with Hilda, who has her eyes on Maxime.
And then things get weird. Or weirder, anyway. These self-centered cretins, lost in trying to write their statement, don’t notice that for some reason they are now all alone. Sylvain has an encounter in the woods with a bog man and panic sets in. There’s a great bit when Maxime reacts to danger by ringing one of the little dinner bells, expecting the staff to come running.
‘Rumours’ doesn’t let up on the absurdity
There is no staff. There is no anybody besides them, except Celestine Sproul (Alicia Vikander), the president of the European Union (and another former lover of Maxine’s), is dazed and confused deep in the woods, suddenly speaking Swedish (she has a new language, she tries to explain) and standing by a giant brain the size of a small car.
There will be more encounters with the bog men; their actions are an on-the-nose metaphor for what the G7 leaders are doing. Just a little more earthy. The cinematography morphs from something appropriate for a wacky comedic satire (straightforward) to lurid horror-movie tones; the score follows a similar path. Wild as the film may be, it’s an exercise in precise control by the filmmakers.
Give Maddin and the Johnsons credit for having the courage of their convictions. Once they start, they never let up on the absurdity. They don’t blink. Yes, we know that global-leadership summits are often a waste of time. But “Rumours” isn’t.
‘Rumours’ 3.5 stars
Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★
Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★
Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson.
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis.
Rating: R for some sexual content/partial nudity and violent content.
How to watch: In theaters Friday, Oct. 18.
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