Movie of the Week
The Dig
Yes, the new Netflix film based on the true archeological discovery at Sutton Hoo, England on the eve of World War II features deep and sensitive performances by Carey Mulligan as Edith Pretty, the landowner on whose estate the ancient Anglo Saxon treasure was discovered, and Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown, the working-class excavator who led the dig. And yes, the film is a great relief in its sober and somber mood and its quiet belief in the maturity of its audience — particularly after the usual raucous fare dished out as entertainment (I’m thinking here of the cynical and overhyped White Tiger). But what really tied together the room for me was the sudden appearance midway through The Dig of a secondary character played by actor-musician Johnny Flynn. Whether he’s performing his songs or appearing in films, Flynn has become a favorite of mine.
In The Dig, Flynn plays a shy, introspective amateur archeologist and photographer with a seemingly doomed love for a married young woman (played by Lily James) and a date with destiny in the skies as an RAF pilot. His stumbling diffidence in the movie mirrors his quiet personality on concert stages, where he deflects audience adoration by modestly segueing from one brilliant song to the next.
I still think of Johnny Flynn as a singer and songwriter, so I’m especially keen on seeing his next film role, for which he seems perfectly suited — the starring role in a David Bowie biopic.
Watch the trailer
And here are a couple of Flynn songs:
The Water (in concert with a surprise guest)
