Denis Villeneuve Calls ‘Digger' a “Furious Comedy" and “a Very Important Movie"

"Digger" hasn't exactly set the box office on fire, and critics remain split on Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Tom Cruise-led apocalyptic satire. But after Michael Mann, Ron Howard, Hideo Kojima, and Alfonso Cuaron, the film has added another director fan in its corner: Denis Villeneuve.

The "Dune" filmmaker moderated a recent DGA screening and Q&A with Iñárritu, now available on the guild's "The Director’s Cut" podcast, and he did not hold back.

That's a hell of a ride, my friend. It's a comedy, but it's a furious comedy, and it's a very important mirror. It's a very important movie.

What seemed to fascinate Villeneuve most, though, was Iñárritu's appetite for risk. "Movie after movie, you are pushing the boundaries, and I feel that you're always putting yourself in a dangerous position artistically," he said.

That's hard to argue with. Whether it's the faux-oner trickery of "Birdman," the brutal survival endurance test of "The Revenant," or the self-indulgent (I'll say it) dreamscape of "Bardo," Iñárritu doesn't do safe. Sometimes it lands, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you’re rewarded, sometimes you’re frustrated.

Villeneuve also singled out the film's handmade craft, including its miniatures and practical effects, admitting that a few shots completely fooled him. "It totally works," he said. "It's really impressive work." He added that the film's theatrical, stagey framework allowed Iñárritu to "develop a language that is quite unique."

Villeneuve then praised Cruise's performance, before saying: "I think it's a total success."

Will Academy voters feel the same way? Directors tend to respect directors who swing big, and having Villeneuve publicly champion your film doesn't hurt. That said, "Digger" is now in its fourth weekend and down to just 302 theaters for Warner Bros, and headed towards massive losses.

Villeneuve, meanwhile, has his own big swing coming. "Dune: Part Three" closes out his trilogy on December 18.