Malkovich delivers career-best performance in 'Wild Horse Nine'
Martin McDonagh's new film casts the actor as a dying CIA agent on Easter Island in 1973, weaving personal decay with the history of the Chilean coup.
By Robert Marshall ·
John Malkovich plays a CIA agent with terminal cancer in the new Martin McDonagh film, Wild Horse Nine. The character, Chris, is dying and his memory is failing. He convinces his colleague Lee, played by Sam Rockwell, to take him to Easter Island in 1973 to see the moai statues before he dies. The island, known by its indigenous name Rapa Nui, serves as the backdrop for this final journey.
Chris is not a silent professional. He tells everyone he meets, including a local student activist named Monica, that he works for the CIA. Most people assume he is joking. However, the film uses these conversations to outline the United States' involvement in the upcoming military coup in Chile. The agent knows that Augusto Pinochet will soon depose socialist President Salvador Allende. He also knows that thousands of activists will be arrested, tortured, or killed.
The plot centers on Chris's fear that he will write a memoir revealing details about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His boss in Santiago, MJ, played by Steve Buscemi, is worried about this potential leak. Meanwhile, Lee's estranged wife Margie, played by Parker Posey, calls with increasing alarm about suspicious activity at her home in the desert. These subplots add tension to the central narrative of a man confronting his legacy.
McDonagh positions the film between In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin. It functions as a political thriller and a meditation on memory. The story follows Chris as he reckons with his life's work, including his fractured relationship with his brother, played by Tom Waits. He befriends Monica despite her instincts. He searches his fading memory for what mattered and concludes that he wishes he had spent more time with horses and killed fewer people.
Malkovich brings a blend of soulfulness and wit to the role. He has been nominated for two Oscars, both more than 30 years ago, but has never won. This performance is described as bleak, wry, and sweet. It utilizes his idiosyncratic qualities to portray a man who owns his crimes yet remains lovable. The role requires him to be both menacing and endearing.
The supporting cast includes Sam Rockwell, who plays the agent's friend, and Steve Buscemi, who portrays the hypocritical boss. Mariana di Girolamo plays Monica, representing the Chilean activist population. The film features lush greenery captured by cinematographer Ben Davis. It is rated R for pervasive language, strong violence, drug use, and sexual references. The movie is currently showing at various theaters in the Boston area.
