RUMOURS

VIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2024

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 

There are many genres at play in Rumours. At times it's a political satire, at others it is an apocalyptic tale with horror elements, and while if you were to describe the mixture to a friend it doesn’t sound plausible, in execution it works. Following the G7 leaders at a conference where they find themselves cut off from the rest of the world, not only must they solve the crisis they congregated for, but they must navigate their new found circumstances. From a giant brain, zombies performing crude activities, and their own egos, there is no shortage of great material for Maddin and his co-writers and co-directors Evan and Galen Johnson to play with, while their scathing commentary on the ineffectiveness of collaborative world leaders. Highlighting that while the intentions of world leaders may be noble in their attempt to solve global issues, the screenplay points out that more often than not, the solution gets overshadowed by egos, political agendas and a desire to appease everyone resulting in no meaningful actions being taken. It’s all conveyed with a biting tone that is woven into the comedic moments, ensuring that audiences will find themselves laughing for a good majority of the film. And despite some pacing issues that makes the middle act feel sluggish as the G7 leaders get lost in the woods (both literally and figuratively), the beginning and concluding acts are strong enough to compensate for this and deliver one hilarious watch from start to finish.

Being a Canadian filmmaker, it’s no surprise that Maddin’s take on Canada’s prime minister is spot on and sure to have audiences dying of laughter who are familiar with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. From his marital issues, his photo op ready appearance and his financial scandal, this is easily the funniest impersonation since Alexander Skarsgård’s impersonation in Long Shot. No topic is left untouched, including one hilarious moment about honouring the rightful owners of the land, which ensures that every second the fictional Prime Minister is on screen is packed with never ending laughter. Roy Dupuis plays the role with a pitch perfect performance that captures the celebrity stature of his position with a bumbling nature that ensures you can’t see his character leading a country, infusing the film with a wicked comedic energy, and it is his performance that not only makes the film but towers over the rest of the cast. 

While Dupuis is easily the standout out of the film, the rest of the cast never for a second fails to entertain. Cate Blanchett is excellent as always, creating a hilarious caricature of German chancellor Angela Merkel as the film’s German chancellor Hilda Ortmann, proving that there is nothing that she cannot do as a performer. Charles Dance is hilarious as the American president Edison Wolcott, constantly in need of snacks and naps due to his age, poking fun at the age of the past two American presidents, while Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello and Takehiro Hira are solid and round out the G7 leaders. As an ensemble, the cast has a wonderful comedic banter with each other, leaning heavily into their characters’ shortcomings and mannerisms to create hilarious group moments, which is the film’s biggest strength. The only disappointing performance comes from Alicia Vikander, and it’s not because Vikander gives a weak performance, but because her character is barely used and leaves her little material to work with as an actress.

As long as you are truly aware of the accomplishments and scandals of the world leaders that are being given the satirical treatment in Guy Maddin’s latest film (aka. Canadian audiences are going to have a blast with this one), you are guaranteed to howl with laughter while watching Rumours. Even though it drags at some points, with Roy Dupuis’s hilarious performance as the Canadian Prime Minister and a great cast featuring Cate Blanchett and Charles Dance, Rumours balances the apocalyptic end of the world storyline with its razor sharp political satire that holds no bars as it takes shot at the state of global politics, ensuring that there is no shortage of entertainment to be had with the most recent work from Guy Maddin