Carey Mulligan

Ralph Fiennes

Lily James

Johnny Flynn

Ben Chaplin

Ken Stott

Archie Barnes

Monica Dolan

Eamon Farren

Paul Ready

Peter McDonald

Stephen Worrall

Danny Webb

Robert Wilfort

James Dryden

Joe Hurst

Christopher Godwin

Ellie Piercy

Bronwyn James

Des Kaliszewski

Jonah Rzeskiewicz

Jack Bennett

John Macmillan

Arsher Ali

Amelia Stephenson

Grant Crookes

Mark Johnson

Steve Wright

Eugene O'Connor

Kye Mckee

John Preston

Moira Buffini

Simon Stone

Gabrielle Tana

Maria Djurkovic

Matt Hermiston

Zuzia Mazurczak-Beska

Christian Cole

Barrie McCulloch

Danny Sheehan

Max Klaentschi

James Corker

Samuel Cook

Mike Eley

Robbie Keane

Nick Barton

Thomas Davies

Len Wheeler

Gary Baggaley

Pat Crawford

Mel Page

Louise Fisher

Lucy Hannah Vick

Rachel Garlick

Liz Ainley

Matt Moffatt

Marta Torres Pena

Grace Firmin

Redmond Morris

Chris Morrison

Andrew Bonner

Dale Trotter

Emin Atilgan

George Lengyel

Claire Pompili

Emmanuel Osei

Stefan Gregory

Lucy Bevan

Charis Theobald

Jeremy Braben

Jim Swanson

Agnieszka Szeliga

Bernie Prentice

Harriet Stovold

Ellie Wood

Anne Sheehan

Paul Carter

Steve Carter

Isabella Faull

Marie-Sophie Daniel

Victoria Hanna

Gavin Ogden

Fabien Peulvast

Stephen McLaughlin

Iveta Smidtaite

Franco Voltolini

Tatiana Macdonald

Pippa Griffith-Jones

Louis Spanswick O'Brien

Anna Cavaliere

Rose Grant

Murray Ferguson

Georgia Rose Fairman

Dion M. Casey

Michael Hannan

Liam Perry

Sergio Bernuzzi

Bettina Lyster

Lily Lanham-Brown

Ali Alkan

Alice Babidge

Jenny Shircore

Atli Örvarsson

Sophie Whittle

Alan Perrin

Mark Silk

Dave Hideg

Trevor Fleming

Matthew Harrison

Alexander Bracq

Heather Phillips

Paul Cotterell

Gordon Fitzgerald

Lukas Oheix

Dave Shaw

Faye Robinson

Caroline Dreesmann

Mark Bamfield

Meg Clark

Jessie Brough

Phoebe Fraser

Stephen Lee

Ian Jewels

David Draper

Alex Locke

Amy De Rees

Drama

History

The Dig

Clerkenwell Films

Magnolia Mae Films

United Kingdom

English

based on novel or book

excavation

single parent

based on true story

class differences

archaeologist

archaeological dig

excavator

1930s

suffolk, england

widowed mother

eve of world war ii

ipswich

Manuel São Bento

Before watching this film, I had absolutely no idea who Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), or even Peggy Piggott (Lily James) were and what they did. As an engineer and a science enthusiast myself, I rarely struggle to find some sort of enjoyment in movies based on true stories about scientific discoveries, technological advancements, or impactful historical events. Therefore, despite a premise that doesn't immediately catch my attention, Simon Stone does a wonderful job in making this film quite interesting.

Mike Eley's cinematography produces some of the most gorgeous shots of the year, transforming The Dig into a visually satisfying movie to look at. The main narrative focuses on the excavation itself and the findings of a shockingly old (Anglo-Saxon) ship, which turns out to be more captivating than I ever anticipated. However, the romantic subplot involving Peggy Piggott feels out-of-place and rather dull considering the objective of this film. It really hurts the overall pacing, dragging an otherwise well-balanced flick.

Moira Buffini's already excellent screenplay is still elevated by the remarkable cast. Fiennes (Harry Potter) and Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) share a heartwarming chemistry that really suits their characters. Lily James (Rebecca) also demonstrates her impressive emotional range once again. Overall, I recommend it to any viewer who's interested in knowing more about the real-life story or who's simply a fan of this specific genre.

Rating: B

Peter McGinn

The Dig reminded me of another movie about archaeology and which was not only also based on a true story but also involved a woman’s contribution to that scientific field. That other movie was Ammonite, about a woman archaeologist in a time when women were more than rare in that field of endeavor.

Unlike that character, however, Edith Pretty in The Dig does not do the work herself. Instead, her interest in archaeology and curiosity about the mounds on her property leads her to hire Basil Brown, a self-trained archaeologist, or “excavator,” as he refers to himself in the film.

I enjoyed the movie despite —or perhaps even because of its relaxed pace and subdued action. If you are sleepy but decide to watch a movie instead, you may want to save this foils for a more alert viewing.

As with most biopics and other films based on true events, changes have been made to spice up the telling. Apparently some of them occurred first in the novel it is based on. For example, because some sort of “bad guy” is required for most movies, the British Museum seems to be depicted in a slightly more adversarial role than what was the case. Also, because a romance didn’t occur between the main characters, a romance was invented between two of the supporting characters. And of course actress Carrie Mulligan was 20 years younger than Edith Pretty was at that time, but they do use makeup to age her somewhat. 

Changes like this are to be expected. The result is a movie that is both entertaining and, dare I say it, a little educational all at once.

THE DIG starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Dig( 2021)

Nothing stays lost forever.

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A review by Manuel São Bento

Written by Manuel São Bento on Thu Jul 15 2021

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