Digger (MA) – 129 minutes

Tom Cruise is hardly the action hero for which he is most noted in the cleverly co-written and directed film by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (The Revenant).

Instead, he is an eccentric, wealthy billionaire who has a “my way or the highway” approach.

He plays Digger Rockwell, who sleeps with a godforsaken 30-year-old cat and likes ordering others around.

But he is a man also about to be in a heck of a lot of trouble.

A billion-dollar drilling operation he has going in Greenland has just seen a massive oil spill, adversely affecting wildlife.

More than that, an ice shelf five times the size of Washington DC has broken away and is set to engulf Europe and claim hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives.

The cataclysmic event is due to happen within three days and his environmental head Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) doesn’t have any readymade answers.

That is even though he is called upon to address Digger’s biggest supporter, namely the US president (John Goodman) and American military heads.

With a meeting of world leaders in uproar, Ganesh refuses to lie about the perilous situation that exists. Nor does Digger ask him to.

Instead, Digger himself speaks to the assembly and delivers a few home truths, puffing out his chest and outlining exactly why he does what he does.

Be that as it may, it certainly seems like all is destined to end badly – very badly indeed.

Iñárritu is noted for making challenging (and, I should quickly add, award winning movies). This satirical black comedy is no exception.

It must be said that Digger won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, it has a decidedly independent flavour to it.

Cruise cuts quite the bizarre characterisation, for Digger is loud, overbearing and provocative, and the movie star doesn’t hold back.

Goodman brings his own eccentricities to bear as the president who is facing some rather serious health challenges.

Ahmed transitions from a cowering figure to one who is morally righteous.

Digger’s half-sister and business partner Emma (Sandra Hüller) is the only one willing to go toe to toe with him, without flinching.

In fact, she doesn’t resile from unloading on him on more than the odd occasion.

The genius in Digger comes in the scripting and direction, in the larger-than-life characterisations and in the payoff at the end.

I have deliberately left a lot unsaid for fear of spoiling the surprise. Regardless, what you get is a richly layered movie.

For much of the time you may not know exactly what is going on, but patience is rewarded. It all comes together with a sting in the tail.

It is also quite striking visually (I refer to the set design and cinematography), while the sound bed also has major impact.

As a commentary on the world and its power struggles, my mind turned to “that” line from Michael Douglas in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987): Greed … is good.

I was left asking, is it – really? For saying it is, doesn’t make it so.

Rated MA, Digger scores an 8 out of 10.