Rumours ★★

Released: 6 December 2024

Director: Guy Maddin, Galen Johnson, Evan Johnson

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance, Nikki Ammuka-Bird, Roy Dupios, Alicia Vikander

With “Rumours”, the Canadian directing trio Galen Johnson, Evan Johnson and Guy Maddin present a surrealistic satire attempting to deconstruct global politics. The ambitious premise and a top-class cast initially promise a sharp-tongued spectacle. However, what is designed as a biting commentary on the dysfunctionalities of the political elite quickly turns out to be an overambitious mess that is neither captivating nor convincing.

The basic idea is undoubtedly charming: leading politicians from the G7 countries, including a brilliant Cate Blanchett as a caricature of a German chancellor, meet in a secluded castle in Dankerode to solve a global crisis. But instead of cleverly dissecting the absurdity of the political processes, the film loses its bearings after just a few scenes. What initially begins as a spot-on satire degenerates into a confused string of bizarre ideas that fail to build up any narrative substance.

The film’s satirical approach remains toothless. There are a few successful moments, such as the romantic rapprochement between Blanchett’s chancellor and the Canadian prime minister or Charles Dance’s Joe Biden parody, which entertains with somnambulistic inertia. But overall, the punchlines lack bite. The exaggerated symbolism – such as an EU Council President carrying an oversized brain – doesn’t come across as provocative, but rather flat and overloaded. The laughter often sticking in the throat, not because of sharp satire, but out of sheer helplessness.

‘Rumours’ also suffers from a blatant lack of narrative coherence. While the first act still thrives on a certain dynamism, the film loses all focus as it progresses. The screenplay meandering from political farce to surreal horror motifs, without ever making it clear what it is trying to achieve. Episodic scenes with bog bodies and eerie forest creatures may have symbolic intentions, but they generate more confusion than
suspense. The attempt to combine social criticism with surreal wit fails due to an overloaded production that is ultimately neither intellectual nor entertaining. The outstanding actors and actresses can barely conceal the narrative weaknesses. Blanchett and Dance deliver strong performances, but their characters remain trapped in a script that gives them little room to develop. Instead of shining as an ensemble, the star cast fizzles out in a production that sets priorities in the wrong places.

Visually, “Rumours” is impressive. The gloomy forests and baroque castle backdrop create an atmospheric density that could visually captivate the audience – if it weren’t for the thematic arbitrariness. Kristian Eidnes Andersen’s score oscillates between pathos and irony, but often seems out of place and overemphasizes the already bloated production. The stylistic finesse just can’t make up for the narrative
emptiness.

“Rumours” wants too much and loses everything in the process. Its ambitious mixture of satire, surrealism and social criticism fizzles out in a narrative mess that is neither entertaining nor enlightening. The few successful moments and the strong cast cannot save the film. What could have been a trenchant political satire ends up as a confused comedy that demands more patience from its audience than it deserves. Fans of absurd experiments may enjoy the stylistic idiosyncrasies, but for most it will be one thing above all: a missed opportunity.