Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine" has emerged as a standout at this year's fall film festivals. The dramedy, starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as bickering CIA agents, received a 14-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and played strongly at its North American premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. Searchlight will release the film in the U.S. on Nov. 6.
The film is set on Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, ahead of the 1973 coup that ousted Chile's democratically elected president. McDonagh developed the project over about four years, initially visiting the remote island 15 years ago with hopes of using it as a film location. He drew inspiration from both the island's setting and the CIA's activities in Chile during the 1970s. McDonagh told festival attendees that the work he had done developing a father-and-son dynamic in earlier versions of the script remained in the final concept of the two bickering protagonists.
Producer Graham Broadbent said the decision to shoot on location was essential to McDonagh's vision. Easter Island, located approximately 2,500 miles off Chile's coast, is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. Broadbent noted that the production worked with local authorities and the council, and employed about 100 local residents as crew members, construction workers and drivers. The crew also brought in personnel from Santiago and the United Kingdom. The production spent about three months on the island and was required to remove all equipment after filming, as the Moai are sacred and the site is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The film marks Rockwell's fourth collaboration with McDonagh, following "Seven Psychopaths," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and the stage play "A Behanding in Spokane." Malkovich said he had previously been unavailable when McDonagh approached him for two earlier projects featuring Rockwell, but accepted immediately after reading the script for "Wild Horse Nine." The actors rehearsed in January at the Public Theater in New York. Steve Buscemi and newcomer Mariana di Girolamo also appear in supporting roles.
Early response to Malkovich's performance has drawn particular attention, with observers suggesting the 73-year-old actor, who received two Oscar nominations more than 30 years ago, could be in contention for a nomination and potentially a first win.
