Filmmaker Martin McDonagh has said John Malkovich deserves three Oscars for his performance in Wild Horse Nine.
The US actor, 72, stars opposite Sam Rockwell, 57, as CIA officers Chris and Lee, who shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island. Recently diagnosed with cancer, Chris begins to wrestle with his dark past role in other CIA interventions.
Premiere praise
Malkovich’s performance has been tipped to bag him his very first Oscar and would follow in the footsteps of his co-star who won his first academy-award in McDonagh’s 2017 film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
During the UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, director McDonagh, 56, hailed the Hollywood actor for delivering “one of the best performances” he’s seen in years.
Speaking to the Press Association, he said: “It’s worthy of three Oscars. It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen in years. It’s funny. It’s angry in places, but it’s very sweet and sort of sorrowful in places too. I don’t think anyone else this year could beat him.”
Political backdrop
Malkovich has been nominated twice for a best supporting actor academy award for 1984’s Places In The Heart and 1993’s In The Line Of Fire.
Despite being set in the 70s, McDonagh, also known for The Banshees Of Inisherin and In Bruges, said the film feels timely of the political climate today.
He said: “I sort of made four films that weren’t political, and just the subject matter lent itself to being angry about it. I’m intrigued to see how the politics go over and the anger goes over. A lot of what happens in the film is sort of mirroring what’s going on in the present day. It wasn’t deliberately set out to be out there but I find that kind of fascinating too.”
Cast and release
The film also stars Reservoir Dogs actor Steve Buscemi, 68, who hopes audiences will learn something new about this period of history.
Buscemi said: “I think it is timely and I think if people don’t know about this period, this is a great film to at least learn a little something about it. The backdrop is political, but it’s really a film about relationships, and it’s a film about connections, regret, redemption. I think the film tells its story a lot through humour. The relationship between John and Sam is really amazing.”
He went on to praise McDonagh’s work as being both “important” and entertaining.
The White Lotus actress Paker Posey also stars in the film alongside Chilean actress Mariana di Girolamo.
White Horse Nine is out in UK cinemas in November.
