“Rumours” - Film Review
Critics more familiar with director Guy Maddin’s filmography are calling Rumours his most accessible piece of work. Even so, this latest film features human brains the size of a Volkswagen, bog zombies jerking themselves off, and an overall gonzo look at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit. That’s the sort of synopsis that sounds beyond comprehension and immediately alienating, even before you bring in Maddin’s signature style. Perhaps it’s his most accessible work, but it’s still a bizarre adventure through the forests of Germany with some of the world’s Democratic leaders. Rumours is the type of film where, if you’re dialed into its oddity, you’ll leave happy. If you’re not, it could be an arduous day at the movies.
The G7 Summit is an annual event where the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States meet to discuss the world’s problems. The European Union is also present, but as a “non-enumerated member.” This event is meant to bring together the world leaders of representative democracies to tackle the issues that are plaguing their nations and the world at large. In the case of Rumours, it’s set during the G7, but the bulk of the movie doesn’t show world leaders solving problems. Rather, it finds them lost in the woods as an unspecified global crisis is unfolding elsewhere. As one might guess, Rumours is a satirical look at the absurdity that exists within politics.
Rumours uses its political leaders as pseudo stand-ins for the stereotypes of the countries they represent. There’s the pragmatic Hilda Ortmann of Germany (Cate Blanchett), perpetually-dozing off Edison Walcott of the United States (Charles Dance), lovesick Maxine Laplace of Canada (Roy Dupuis), by-the-book Cardosa Dewindt of the UK (Nikki Amuka-Bird), aloof Sylvain Broulez of France (Denis Ménochet), newcomer Tatsuro Iwasaki of Japan (Takehiro Hira), and always-ready-with-a-deli-meat Antonio Lamorte of Italy (Rolando Ravello). Sylvain of France comments that one could view this entire scenario as a greater allegory for the role each of these countries plays within global politics. His mention of this metaphor brought one of the larger laughs of the film. In fact, the whole film earned more audible laughs than any studio comedy in recent memory. Rumours is not a run-of-the-mill jokefest. It’s set up with an odd premise and finds its humor in the way the situation unfolds. Explaining it more would ruin the fun for everyone.
courtesy of Elevation Pictures
Of course, there are people who will be turned off by Rumours’ on-the-nose political humor. In an election year for the United States that is more anxiety-inducing than the last, it can be hard to find humor in the world of global politics. Yet Rumours can also allow the American viewer to briefly escape the absurdity they’re living in for a different world of chaos whose stakes feel less intense. We think of world leaders as the ones in charge. The ones who, when things get bad, can help to guide us. Rumours takes these adults and turns them into foolish children running around a forest who are no more prepared to solve a global crisis than you or I. That’s the cruel joke of it all. At the end of the day, we’re just humans whose ability to do our jobs well is affected by unrequited romantic feelings, hunger, and sleepiness. Yet some of those people are leaders of the free world whose choices have an immense effect on the world around them.
Rumours is a dark comedy that makes good on its high-brow premise, while poking fun at the pseudo-intellectualism that exists in the world of global politics. It won’t be for everyone, but for those whose funny bone exists on the same wavelength as directors/writers Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, Rumours is a see-it-to-believe-it walk through the woods.
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