The Dig

Last night I really enjoyed seeing The Dig which is a lovely period drama based on a true story.  Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), a wealthy but lonely widow who lives on a sprauling estate in Suffolk, hires Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), an amateur archaeologist, to excavate some large burial mounds on her land just before the start of World War II.  He soon makes what will eventually become one of the most significant discoveries of Anglo-Saxon remains in Britain.  This draws the unwanted attention of the British Museum and other professional archaeologists which tests the relationship between Edith and Basil.  There is also a subplot involving a forbidden romance between Edith's nephew Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn), who is hired by Edith to help Basil with the dig, and Peggy Preston (Lily James), the unhappy wife of one of the archaeologists sent by the British Museum, which is complicated by his desire to join the RAF.  The action is slow and deliberate but it is surprisingly riveting because of the powerful story about trying to understand the past while facing an uncertain future and the importance of appreciating every fleeting moment.  The visuals are absolutely gorgeous with long tracking shots of characters walking through sun-dappled fields and I loved the beautiful period costumes.  The performances are brilliant with a quiet restraint between Mulligan and a curmudgeonly Fiennes and a simmering passion between James and Flynn (who I think is incredibly appealing).  I was also really impressed with Archie Barnes who plays Edith's young son Robert, especially in his scenes with Fiennes.  I loved this movie (I am a sucker for British period pieces) and I highly recommend it but it might not be for everyone.  It is in theaters for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Netflix beginning January 29.