By Cynthia Biddlecomb
Los Alamos
“Eddington”, released July 19, is playing through today at our local movie theater. Eddington is a contemporary Western from Ari Aster dropped into the mess that was the pandemic lock-down of May and June 2020.
The movie starts off as slow local drama, and morphs into dark comedy. We stop chuckling as it becomes a serious crime story, then an over-the-top thriller with guns and explosions. The best reason for New Mexico folks to see it, besides its big-name actors, is to recognize Truth or Consequences as the real star of the show.
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker, Napoleon) plays Joe Cross, Sheriff of Eddington, and Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) is Mayor Ted Garcia, now up for re-election. In small towns, people can have lots of history with each other, and sure enough, there is some kind of beef between these two guys. Joe’s wife, Louise Cross (Emma Stone) may have something to do with that, but we never learn the full truth. Louise’s mother Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell) lives with Joe and Louise and believes every conspiracy theory she sees on the internet, demanding they both pay attention to her favorite fake news sources.
But the story doesn’t stop with these complications. Add in the mask requirement, people lined up six feet apart waiting to enter the grocery store, a homeless man causing trouble, local youth inspired by the Goerge Floyd protests, a drive-through COVID test, a proposed high tech data bank facility being built, a cult for survivors of abuse, and the plot ends up wading through massive chaos. (The film’s tagline apparently? “Hindsight is 2020.”) In the end, one can’t really be sure who was shooting at whom. But rest assured, the data bank facility will get built near town to suck up water and power resources.
Having recently spent a couple of days in T or C, I recognized the parts of downtown that served well as the movie set. The setting and the acting are first rate. But, the memories of that time in our national life may yet be too fresh without reliving them this way. National news events turn neighbor against neighbor, as they accuse each other of wrongdoing.
Eddington is “Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, language, and graphic [read: male frontal] nudity.” A real film buff might be glad to see what it’s all about. But if you are easily bored or can’t handle being confused at the end of a movie, maybe just skip it. Ask your friends what they think.
Apparently, Eddington has been nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Let’s hope it’s not for the way the chaos of American life is depicted.
Eddington is showing through today, Aug. 31, at SALA.
