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‘Digger’ Director Alejandro González Iñárritu Responds to Mixed Reviews
The Oscar-winning filmmaker says he welcomes strong reactions to the Tom Cruise-led movie, even as the film faces divided reviews and a disappointing opening weekend.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu is addressing the mixed critical response to his latest movie, Digger, starring Tom Cruise.
The 63-year-old director’s newest film opened in theaters this past weekend after critics began sharing their reactions ahead of its release. The response has been divided, with the movie currently holding a 52% Tomatometer score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rather than being concerned by the negative reviews, Iñárritu said he would prefer strong reactions to an indifferent response.
“I prefer that to the lukewarm reception,” he told The New York Times in a recent interview.
Iñárritu Embraces Risk
The filmmaker acknowledged that Digger is not without flaws but said taking creative risks is an important part of his approach to filmmaking.
“The movie is not perfect,” Iñárritu said. “I like taking risks.”
He also said he was not surprised that the film generated such varied reactions among audiences and critics.
According to Iñárritu, Digger was deliberately designed as an unconventional and provocative movie rather than a straightforward cinematic experience.
“I think definitely it’s an uncommon film. It’s a provoking film,” he explained.
‘Let’s Start the Conversation’
Iñárritu said one of his primary goals as a filmmaker is to create movies that encourage audiences to think and discuss what they have seen.
“That’s the role of a film for me — let’s start the conversation,” he said.
The director acknowledged that audiences have different expectations when it comes to storytelling. While some viewers may prefer narratives that provide greater certainty and clarity, Iñárritu said he personally gravitates toward films that communicate ideas in unconventional ways.
“My personal taste is films that try to tell me something in a different way,” he said.
“There’s people that want more certainty in the storytelling, and that’s OK too,” he added. “This is not like an ice cream. So, yeah, we expected that, to be honest.”
‘Digger’ Faces Box-Office Challenges
The mixed critical response comes as Digger also faces difficulties at the box office.
The film reportedly had a disappointing opening weekend, with early reports suggesting that the movie could potentially lose as much as $200 million.
Despite the financial concerns, Iñárritu’s comments indicate that he anticipated a divided response to a film he considers unconventional and willing to take creative risks.
With Cruise leading the cast and Iñárritu behind the camera, Digger remains one of the year’s most closely discussed releases, particularly because of its unconventional
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