Stanko's Stance

Director: Simone Stone
Writers: Moira Buffini, John Preston
Staring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James
Streaming: Netflix
Release Date: January 29, 2021

What a wonderful surprise to watch on a Saturday morning! The Dig popped up on my home page, and immediately my girlfriend and I looked at each other and said “let’s watch this.”

Based on a true story set in the late 1930s, the story centers around excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) and his work for Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan). A landmark discovery results in madam Pretty’s land being the center of attention while the discovery of the land parallels with people discovering things about themselves.

• This is the most “parents” movie of all time. It is quintessentially an adult drama that fits into a specific notch perfectly.
• Carey Mulligan is relentlessly elegant; how she has not been in The Crown is beyond me. I remember her most from Drive (2011). She plays emotionally distressed and dying very well.
• Ralph Fiennes is delightfully dull in The Dig. He fits the grumpy mold but a heart of gold character exceptionally well.
• The final sequence with the kid and his mother is tear-jerking.
• Director Simone Stone and cinematographer Mike Eley really love low landscape shots. I am a fan, but there are a TON of them in this movie.

Stanko Rating: B (3.5/5 Stars)

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