Haunting imagery but not much message
Film critic Jason Evans has made it his mission to tell you
everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to take the
perfect photo. His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 is too quick, but 101
is verbose). Here is his 100-word review of Civil War.
The Premise: From acclaimed director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) comes the story of a civil war in the modern United States. The fighting pitches the federal government (based in Washington DC) against the successionist Western Forces (led by Texas and California). Florida is no friend of the WF but also wants to overthrow the feds. But the movie never gets into why these forces are battling each other, it is instead the tale of four journalists braving the dangerous roads to Washington to cover the final stages of the fight. Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a famous war photographer; Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) is Jessie, a young photojournalist who idolizes Lee; Wagner Moura (Elysium, Narcos) is Joel, one of Lee’s colleagues; and noted character actor Stephen McKinley Henderson plays Sammy, an aging New York Times reporter.
The 100 Words: Garland knows how to create tension and
capture stirring images. Parts of Civil War are mesmerizing as we see the brutality
of armed conflict on American soil. But his film doesn’t have much to say
beyond the terrifying images. It avoids politics and doesn’t even have much
insight into the power or importance of journalism. The acting is first rate --
Spaeny is a rising star – and the production is top notch, but what is the
point of it all? I desperately wanted some message to offset the haunting
images of neighbor killing neighbor. Sadly, Alex Garland didn’t have one.
Comments
Post a Comment