It is entirely possible that Rumours, an alleged comedy from writers/directors Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, and Guy Maddin, is smart and funny. I am basing a lot of that on the fact that Cate Blanchett agreed to star in it. I am not basing a lot of that on my having found it smart and funny. I trust Cate Blanchett more than myself, as we all should.
It seemed like the perfect time to watch a film skewering the flawed leaders of the seven wealthiest democracies in the world. That said, in hindsight, spending more time thinking about democracy in general may have been too much of a bummer to endure. It clearly lampoons the idiotic, self-aggrandizing, hollow behaviors of the world’s political elite but not in a LOL way. It’s more like a New Yorker cartoon reaction. And not a good one like one with dogs. It’s more like one where someone smarter than you says “Oh, I get it.” And so you say you do too. But you kinda don’t. And by kinda I mean not at all.
Anyway, Rumours is about the G7 leaders preparing to address the world during an ill-defined “crisis.” The leaders of Germany (Blanchett), America (Charles Dance), Canada (Roy Dupuis), France (Denis Ménochet), the United Kingdom (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Italy (Rolando Ravello), and Japan (Takehiro Hira) flail about and fornicate at a retreat in the woods. Then they are suddenly attacked by boneless zombies and a giant brain. Accents come and go, and so did my attention span, if I’m being honest.
The worst part about not enjoying a wry black comedy is figuring out if you’re the idiot. Maybe? It’s entirely possible that the layers of satire, the levels of cultural critique and commentary, were so nuanced as to be uproarious to those willing and able to travel the labyrinthian logic. I thought Ulysses sucked, for what it’s worth. Still do, actually. I am not of the inclination that art shouldn’t be work, only that one has to accept the invitation to do that work. I did not RSVP for this.
There are moments that don’t require deftness of observation. Stuff definitely happens to the genitals of reanimated corpses. That probably doesn’t take a PhD or a MoMA membership to appreciate. Blanchett, Dance, and Amuka-Bird are clearly trying to broaden things with their performances, using facial expression and line delivery like well-lit beacons trying to land an airplane. Sadly, it’s all Boeing over here, baby. All crash, no takeoff. I liked Maddin’s My Winnipeg, so I thought I had a fighting chance?
Here’s what I know: Entertaining political satire is hard to pull off and, you know, possibly illegal now. In concept, I want more of it. In execution, I would prefer it be less draining than this. Rumours has one of those fantastic, gloriously divided scores on Rotten Tomatoes. It is “certified fresh” by critics and loathed by three-quarters of audience respondents. There’s probably some great metaphor about the divide between the cultural elite and the public that mirrors the point of the flawed views of the G7 politicians here. Someone smarter let me know if you identify it.
Grade = D
Other Critical Voices to Consider
Sarah G. Vincent at In Between Drafts says “Film theory is fun, but this movie is not. The lemon is not worth the squeeze. Could the point hold in a shorter run time and still entertain? Apparently not. “
Alison Gillmor at the Winnipeg Free Press says “Though the film does lag a bit in the middle, it always retains an idiosyncratic appeal. As a satire on political ineptitude, Rumours is unusually freaky and spooky. As an elegy for our doomed world, it’s unexpectedly cheerful.”
Courtney Small at Cinema Axis says “In watching these bumbling leaders attempt to navigate the possible end of the world, Rumours reinforces the notion that those who we elect to lead us in challenging times are rarely up to the task. The best they can do is utter nonsensical platitudes with the fiery gravitas of a general inspiring soldiers to march into a battle that has already been lost.”