Starring: Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson.
Digging For Fire, is the movie that follows a couple as they house-sit. During this time, husband Tim (Jake Johnson) finds a gun and bones and starts a search to find the rest of the puzzle.
This was quite an easy film to watch. It was comedic at times, lightly dramatic, great but oddly cast and the cinematography made it very visually appealing but the story kind of lacked something. At the end of the film I didn't really feel like anything had happened as everything went back to how it was at the start of the film - which does narratively make more sense but on screen it wasn't all there. It was a very on-the-surface screenplay which isn't necessarily bad but there was a lot of wasted potential.
I've been re-watching New Girl so I'm going through a very intense Jake Johnson phase right now but that aside, his acting in this was delightful. He plays a really good lazy man, I think he gets pretty perfectly typecast. His performance wasn't anything spectacular but it didn't need to be for this kind of movie and his performance worked really well. He has a certain loveable attraction to him that helps him appeal to the audience. The rest of the cast also put on a very real and natural act.
The cinematography was, much like Swanberg's Drinking Buddies, very pretty. I wouldn't say it was beautiful or captivating but the bright colours he uses in the light and sunny spaces always hook me in. The scene above was probably my most favourite as it was both visually and emotionally stunning.
Overall, Digging For Fire was a quality film considering Swanberg's other films. He makes films in a way that's very realistic because they don't completely have an ending so you're always kind of left to make your own up. His films are always a good character study into relationships and human beings. Digging For Fire was no exception and I would recommend watching it for those days that you have need to pass some time.
