In times of crisis nations look to their leaders to be symbols of strength and comfort. As one observes in the political satire Rumours, these perceived pillars of power are often very hollow. They are more inclined to try and inspire others through forcefully delivered speeches, which lack concrete substance, rather than working to address the problem at hand.
The world leaders at the centre of the fictionalized G7 summit that Rumours revolves around make reference to an issue that needs fixing, but never elaborate on what it is or how they plan to resolve it. Conducting their most important discussions in a gazebo, where they intend to craft a provisional statement that will show unity and offer a direction forward, they seem more consumed by their own desires and egos than the wellbeing of their constituents.
Like teenagers on an overnight field trip without parental supervision, it does not take long for interpersonal drama to kick in once left to their own devices. The German Chancellor Hilda Orlmann (Cate Blanchett), whose country is the hosting summit, only seems interested in doing whatever she can to get closer to Canadian prime minister Maxime Laplace (Roy Dupuis). A sensitive ladies’ man, whose self-proclaimed weakness is loving strong women too much, Laplace is not opposed to taking Orlmann up on her advances, despite his own desire to rekindle his romantic relationship with U.K. prime minister Cardosa Dewindt (Nikki Amuka-Bird).
The women in Laplace’s life, including a marriage that is crumbling, are not the only thing weighing heavily on the mind of the prime minister as a scandal back home threatens to unseat him. As co-directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson eventually reveal, Laplace’s wavering job security turns out to be a moot point when one considers the global catastrophe that is rapidly approaching.
Unaware that their various staff members have vanished, the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies, which include American president Edison Wolcott (Charles Dance), who can barely keep himself from falling asleep, and Italian prime minister Antonio Lamorle (Rolando Ravello), who has as seemingly endless supply of cured meats in his pocket, soon find themselves alone and vulnerable.
Things only get stranger when mysterious creatures known as bog bodies, consisting of the mummified remains from the iron age, spring to life at an alarming rate. Attempting to avoid the voiceless bogs and other oddities lurking in the woods, such as a giant brain, Laplace and company’s only chance for survival is to make their way to the one building where help might still be available.
As the leaders’ encounter unexpected surprises along their journey, Rumours takes audiences down a winding apocalyptic road that is both amusing and head scratching.
An absurdist comedy that blends elements of horror and drama, Maddin and the Johnsons paint a heighten portrait of a world not too far off from our own. Rather than aiming its satirical darts at any real-life target, the film is more interested in the archetypes that often define nations and their leaders. While there are several truths to the national caricatures that the filmmakers construct, one’s mileage with the film will vary.
Broadly sketching it characters, the film relies heavily on its humour to fill the occasional holes in the thinly constructed plot. As Rumours dives deeper into its apocalyptic narrative, the absurdist approach can only carry the film so far. While there several amusing gags throughout, including one involving the leaders attempting to use a phone program designed to catch pedophiles as a way of alerting authorities to their position, while simultaneously trying to ensure they are not too creepy in their tone just in case they are talking to a real-life young girl, divergences like this dilute some of the film’s more salient commentary.
In watching these bumbling leaders attempt to navigate the possible end of the world, Rumours reinforces the notion that those who we elect to lead us in challenging times are rarely up to the task. The best they can do is utter nonsensical platitudes with the fiery gravitas of a general inspiring soldiers to march into a battle that has already been lost.
While the cast is clearly having a ball in their respective roles, one cannot help but long for a little more substance to make the absurd humour resonate more. Offering a bleak commentary on the individuals ushering the world to its demise, Rumours is an amusing work that reminds audiences just how much of a farce modern politics has become.
