Civil War
Synopsis: A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House
Director: Alex Garland
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman and Jesse Plemons
Runtime: 1 hour 49 mins
Genre: Action Thriller
Alex Garland, who earlier this month said he has no new plans to direct after this movie (with the exception of co-directing next years Warfare with Ray Mendoza) wrote Civil War in the darkest depths of the lockdown. Surrounded by death and the breakdown of society together with an increasingly divided America, he came to write this movie.
Civil War has a production budget of $50 million which represents a career high for both director and studio (A24) alike.
As for the movie, let's break it down...
Story and Plot
The movie, set in a not too distant future starts with the civil war already in progress as 19 states have seceded from the union. Now known as the Republic of California, the Second Republic of Texas, Western Forces and the Florida Alliance. The movie is told through the eyes of four journalists, Lee, Sammy, Joel and Jesse who are tracking rebel forces as they make their way across the Loyalist States and an ever divided America to the capital Washington D.C and the White House.
If based on the trailer you are going into Civil War thinking it's going to be a dystopian action film, think again. Whilst there is action which is often shocking and bloody, this movie is firmly told through the eyes of the journalists. Politically, this movie is neutral, Garland is clear that he is not taking a stance on either side. He cleverly avoids getting into any details on what happened to America, it's the rubber hitting the road from the off.
This anti war movie which is basically a horror movie on a certain level is an intense thriller with many layers. It is as riveting as it is deeply unsettling. Unflinchingly told, the tension does not let up for a second. Even in the quieter moments (and at times it is a slow burn) the tension is palpable. I really enjoyed this movie, it is a riveting watch that will stay with me for a long time. The only two things I would say is fine the needle drop music choices (see below) I thought were odd and the movie ended way too abruptly.
Cast
Dunst who plays Lee (essentially the movies main protagonist) soon contacted the director after she secured the role asking for the camera her character would be using. In a recent Total Film interview she said "As soon as I got the role I contacted Alex asking for the camera, as people who shoot all the time hold the camera like it is part of their body". She gives a fantastic performance as the battle hardened award winning war photographer.
Rising star Cailee Spaeny (Last seen in Priscilla in January) is the movie's MVP as the wet behind the ears photographer Jessie, who idolises Dunst's Lee. She is superb and is essentially the mirror to the audience through the horrors of their journey to the capital. The 25 year old (who looks much younger) is going to have a meteoric career.
Wagna Mourna (Best known as Pablo Escobar in Narcos) plays Joel the co-leader of the journalists. He is fantastic and an actor who I have not seen before. He bears more than a passing resemble to Pedro Pascal.
Rounding out the journalists is Stephen McKinley Henderson as Sammy, who accompanies the team to Washington. He is excellent as the old sage offering advice to Jesse and the gang along the way.
Nick Offerman as the President is not in it that much, but he shines when he is, come on, it's Nick Offerman, legend.
Finally, Jesse Plemons (husband of Dunst), is as chilling as I'd hoped. Whilst his role is minor, the famous "What type of American are you?" part in the trailer makes the cut (Which I feared it might not) and represents a turning point in the movie. It is the scene of the movie for me and does not disappoint.
Sound and Spectacle
Garland relies on many of the key members of the production team from project to project, and no more so than on his DP, Rob Hardy. This movie looks fantastic and is beautifully shot. Whether it's the sweeping vistas, action set pieces or quieter moments it's a gorgeous looking movie.
The sound design as well is phenomenal, whether its the impact from the fallout from bombs or the intense battles.
On screen Action
In a recent interview in Empire film magazine, Garland said that one of his biggest bug bears of cinema is how violence (in particular when someone gets shot) is unrealistically depicted. He was determined with Civil War to show violence in a more realistic way, even if it meant it was less sensational than in the traditional movie sense.
In order to capture this action he used a new type of camera that melded handheld and Steadicam to capture the urgency of what was unfolding on screen.
This realism extends to the on-screen action and set pieces. With minimal use of CGI (to render Washington D.C monuments from the film sets in Atlanta, Georgia) Garland was determined to use real military hardware to depict the battles, ensuring the actors felt the military might first hand.
The heart racing battle scenes are universally superb and at times jaw dropping. Fantastically shot and thanks to the excellent camera work you feel you are there as the horrors play out on screen.
Music and Score
Geoff Barrow, frequent collaborator with Garland provides the score which is very good. My only complaint with the music is there are many needle drops which I felt were overused. I would have liked to have heard a pulsating score come through during the intense action sequences. Instead Garland chose to overlay a wide arrange (and a frankly strange collection) of songs as many scenes throughout the movie played out.
As gripping as it is unflinching, Civil War is in essence a horror movie that has you on the edge from it's first frame and does not let you go until the end. It is an intense unsettling watch that needs to be seen.
Verdict - Matched Expectations
No comments:
Post a Comment