Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine tipped for Oscar success

Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine is being tipped as a possible Oscar contender after a run on the festival circuit. The film is due in cinemas early next month and has drawn praise for John Malkovich's leading performance.

The Oscar-winning London-based Irish filmmaker's new film follows two CIA operatives, played by Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, on a trip to Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, off the coast of Chile in 1973. It is being seen as McDonagh's most political film to date. The characters are directly involved in laying the groundwork for the overthrow of Chile's democratically elected socialist government. McDonagh said the subject, the CIA's actions in Chile in 1973 and across much of the century, was "pretty despicable stuff" and that a film about it could not be made without some anger.

McDonagh's last film, The Banshees of Inisherin, was nominated for nine Academy Awards. That film was set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland with the Irish Civil War in the background. Wild Horse Nine moves the political violence to Easter Island, where it has a direct and lasting effect on the characters.

Chilean actress Mariana Di Girolamo, who plays idealistic college student Monica, said the events remain relevant. She said audiences need to keep having these conversations and keep memory alive through art and culture, especially at this moment.

The cast and producer also stressed McDonagh's writing and range. Malkovich called the script "terrific" and said McDonagh is "funny and very sad." His writing and range drew further praise, including a comment that he now has the maturity of an auteur. Malkovich's performance as an older CIA agent nearing the end of his career, mixing swagger, regret and a touch of lunacy, has been singled out as a serious awards contender.

The budget is reported to be as low as $5 million, a small sum by Hollywood standards. Producer Graham Broadbent said the budget and McDonagh's track record give him the freedom to make films his way, with the director's "fingerprints all over it." The film has familiar McDonagh elements, but it offers a more political story. With an uncompromising story, witty script and strong performances, it is easy to see why Oscar nominations are being predicted.