by Josh Sewell
Civil War
(Rated R for strong violent content, bloody/disturbing images, and language throughout. Opens in theaters April 12.)
I’ve been a fan of filmmaker Alex Garland from way back, particularly 28 Days Later (which he wrote) and Ex Machina (which marked his directorial debut and still stands as his masterpiece). I didn’t love Annihilation quite as much, but it’s still a fascinating work of sci-fi horror. Since then, however, it seems like he’s been on the decline.
I was hoping Garland’s latest effort, the ambitious Civil War, would serve as a comeback of sorts, which seemed like a solid bet considering the thriller’s deeply unsettling trailer. However, although large sections of it are highly effective – particularly Rob Hardy’s cinematography and the tense sound design – the filmmaker has once again crafted a promising idea without having much to say about it.
Set in a near-future dystopian America, Civil War revolves around a team of journalists (played by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Stephen McKinley Henderson) as they travel a perilous route from New York City to Washington, D.C. The group has solid intel that rebel forces are close to taking the White House and capturing the President (Nick Offerman), so they want to attempt an interview before he’s most likely executed.
For the first two-thirds of the film, I was in. The premise is fascinating, even though Garland doesn’t have anything specific to say about American politics or journalism. In fact, there’s never even a clear explanation as to what the various factions are fighting about. Nevertheless, the performances from Dunst, Moura, Spaeny and Henderson are so compelling that I was willing to overlook some of the flaws.
However, the final third kicks off with a narrative turn so jarring that I threw my hands up in frustration. (You’ll know it’s coming when you see a speeding SUV approach the protagonists’ vehicle on a back road.) From that point on, people who were once intelligent and rational start making idiotic decisions in order to keep the plot moving.
In fact, without getting into spoilers, one character ends up being so inexplicably dumb that it becomes comedic after a while. When texting with a friend after the movie, my comparison was, “Imagine what Saving Private Ryan would be like if Matt Damon’s character was stupid instead of loyal.”
I don’t think that’s what Garland was aiming for with his otherwise riveting finale.
Grade: C+
The People’s Joker
(Not rated, but contains strong language and thematic material. Opens at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta on April 12.)
In this low-budget indie that made headlines several months back for skirting the lines of parody and copyright law, trans filmmaker Vera Drew utilizes the Batman mythos (including the countless comics, movies and television shows in which the character has appeared) to create an absurdist semi-autobiographical comedy. Drew also plays the titular character, an unfunny aspiring clown coming to terms with her gender identity while attempting to join the ranks of Gotham City’s sole comedy program.
I respected the ambition of The People’s Joker, especially the animation, stop motion and green screen that are surprisingly effective considering the miniscule budget. It’s also clear Drew knows her Batman stuff considering the sheer amount of funny and frequently obscure references to the character’s pop culture history.
Overall, though, the film didn’t work for me. The first half is strong, but the wheels come off once Drew starts to mistake sermonizing for character development. I get it – this is a deeply personal project and she wants to communicate key themes and issues that are important to her. But that doesn’t always make for compelling cinema.
Granted, I’m a middle-aged straight white dude and a clear outlier based on other critics’ reviews. I’ll be the first to admit my take on the film is absolutely be a “me” thing. Drew’s brand of humor is distinctly rooted in surrealist anti-comedy, which I’ve never been a big fan of. From that perspective, The People’s Joker wears out its welcome even at a relatively brief 90 minutes. Considering how repetitive the flick gets, it might’ve worked better as a short.
Grade: C
Home Entertainment Spotlight
Night Swim
(Rated PG-13 for terror, some violent content and language. Now available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.)
In this horror flick, Wyatt Russell stars as a former baseball player forced to retire early because of a degenerative illness. He moves into a new home with his wife (Kerry Condon) and their two children, where they quickly discover the backyard swimming pool contains a deep secret that unleashes a malevolent force. Bonus features include a feature commentary with director and co-writer Bryce McGuire, as well as four behind-the-scenes featurettes.
(Rated R for strong violent content, bloody/disturbing images, and language throughout. Opens in theaters April 12.)
I’ve been a fan of filmmaker Alex Garland from way back, particularly 28 Days Later (which he wrote) and Ex Machina (which marked his directorial debut and still stands as his masterpiece). I didn’t love Annihilation quite as much, but it’s still a fascinating work of sci-fi horror. Since then, however, it seems like he’s been on the decline.
I was hoping Garland’s latest effort, the ambitious Civil War, would serve as a comeback of sorts, which seemed like a solid bet considering the thriller’s deeply unsettling trailer. However, although large sections of it are highly effective – particularly Rob Hardy’s cinematography and the tense sound design – the filmmaker has once again crafted a promising idea without having much to say about it.
Set in a near-future dystopian America, Civil War revolves around a team of journalists (played by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Stephen McKinley Henderson) as they travel a perilous route from New York City to Washington, D.C. The group has solid intel that rebel forces are close to taking the White House and capturing the President (Nick Offerman), so they want to attempt an interview before he’s most likely executed.
For the first two-thirds of the film, I was in. The premise is fascinating, even though Garland doesn’t have anything specific to say about American politics or journalism. In fact, there’s never even a clear explanation as to what the various factions are fighting about. Nevertheless, the performances from Dunst, Moura, Spaeny and Henderson are so compelling that I was willing to overlook some of the flaws.
However, the final third kicks off with a narrative turn so jarring that I threw my hands up in frustration. (You’ll know it’s coming when you see a speeding SUV approach the protagonists’ vehicle on a back road.) From that point on, people who were once intelligent and rational start making idiotic decisions in order to keep the plot moving.
In fact, without getting into spoilers, one character ends up being so inexplicably dumb that it becomes comedic after a while. When texting with a friend after the movie, my comparison was, “Imagine what Saving Private Ryan would be like if Matt Damon’s character was stupid instead of loyal.”
I don’t think that’s what Garland was aiming for with his otherwise riveting finale.
Grade: C+
(Not rated, but contains strong language and thematic material. Opens at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta on April 12.)
In this low-budget indie that made headlines several months back for skirting the lines of parody and copyright law, trans filmmaker Vera Drew utilizes the Batman mythos (including the countless comics, movies and television shows in which the character has appeared) to create an absurdist semi-autobiographical comedy. Drew also plays the titular character, an unfunny aspiring clown coming to terms with her gender identity while attempting to join the ranks of Gotham City’s sole comedy program.
I respected the ambition of The People’s Joker, especially the animation, stop motion and green screen that are surprisingly effective considering the miniscule budget. It’s also clear Drew knows her Batman stuff considering the sheer amount of funny and frequently obscure references to the character’s pop culture history.
Overall, though, the film didn’t work for me. The first half is strong, but the wheels come off once Drew starts to mistake sermonizing for character development. I get it – this is a deeply personal project and she wants to communicate key themes and issues that are important to her. But that doesn’t always make for compelling cinema.
Granted, I’m a middle-aged straight white dude and a clear outlier based on other critics’ reviews. I’ll be the first to admit my take on the film is absolutely be a “me” thing. Drew’s brand of humor is distinctly rooted in surrealist anti-comedy, which I’ve never been a big fan of. From that perspective, The People’s Joker wears out its welcome even at a relatively brief 90 minutes. Considering how repetitive the flick gets, it might’ve worked better as a short.
Grade: C
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Rated PG-13 for terror, some violent content and language. Now available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.)
In this horror flick, Wyatt Russell stars as a former baseball player forced to retire early because of a degenerative illness. He moves into a new home with his wife (Kerry Condon) and their two children, where they quickly discover the backyard swimming pool contains a deep secret that unleashes a malevolent force. Bonus features include a feature commentary with director and co-writer Bryce McGuire, as well as four behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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