trailer civil war, Alex Garland’s latest moviesGive your audience very specific expectations. What will they see? This movie seems to be about a United States that is so politically divided that certain states have seceded and the country is at war. Obviously the scenario is fictional nightmare version The current situation is that the left and right in the United States have turned to violence. And in some ways, civil war that is. But that’s not the case and that’s why It’s really so attractive And it’s special.
Written and directed by Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation), civil war It’s actually about an America that is no longer unified. America is at war with itself, hence the title. But one of the main combatants in this war is the West. A group consisting of California and Texas. Now everyone knows that California and Texas may be the two most polar opposite states in the current political climate. That’s the first clue civil war This is not a pro-left, anti-right Hollywood story by the book. Certainly it has an agenda, and that agenda is certainly more expansive than not, but Garland makes it very specifically clear that his America is not our America. So whoever is watching the movie or what they believe can enjoy the story very easily without prejudice.
In other words, the film is as objective as possible, which also happens to be the main ideology of the group of journalists who are the film’s protagonists. Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a famous war photographer who travels the country with her fellow journalist Joel (Wagner Moura). After documenting horrific yet all-too-common acts of violence in New York, Lee and Joel decide to travel to Washington, D.C. to attempt an interview with the president, played by Nick Offerman. Colleague Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) thinks it’s a bad idea, but goes along anyway, and he also brings along Jessie (Kaylee Spaeny), an aspiring photographer who sees Lee as a hero and mentor.
So the four journalists leave New York and head to DC, which is usually an uneventful four or five hour drive. But in this world, everything happens all over the country, making the trip a much longer and more difficult one. Certain roads are blocked. Other areas are not safe. And soon the group realizes that no matter which direction they turn, there is danger and fear everywhere.
civil war This is Alex Garland’s most mature film to date. As he sets his character off on this journey, you can almost sense that he’s not pushing the agenda in any direction. An energy permeates the film, as if Garland is shaking and buzzing to hold back whatever he wants to say. Just as our journalistic heroes continue to preach the importance of objectivity and factual reporting regardless of the situation, Garland unfolds his story accordingly. Lee, Joel, and the crew approach each situation the same way. Based on consideration and kindness. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. Often the most dangerous things we see are not in the center of the frame. There’s a burning building here. A pile of corpses there. Joel and Lee’s disgust for the president certainly codes them as sympathetic to the WF, but the movie doesn’t really say what the WF stands for. We wonder. Closer to Texas? Or is it more California?
One of the best things about the movie is that it doesn’t define the source of the conflict. Conversely, one of the worst things is that things can get a bit repetitive as the characters travel from New York to DC. They drive, encounter obstacles, learn something, and move on. Then they drive, encounter obstacles, learn something, and move forward again. The pattern repeats itself a few times, and while each obstacle unfolds differently, usually in surprising ways, some of the film’s momentum falters around this structure.
where civil war It expresses intensity without wavering. The movie’s tension is always turned up to 11 whenever the heroes face one of the obstacles, including a booby-trapped gas station, a hidden sniper, and Jesse Plemons in pink sunglasses. We are rarely sure what will happen or who will happen. It will survive primarily because of its objectivity. No one is treated like a hero or a villain from the start. Of course, it changes from scene to scene, but movies can be scary because, like journalists, they give everyone an equal opportunity.
It can also make you question yourself, your biases, etc. civil war It’s a film that challenges the audience to put themselves in everyone’s shoes, not just the protagonist’s. In part, it’s because everything in the movie is so believable that we can see ourselves, our friends, and our neighbors in it. But that’s also because the performances are so strong overall that it’s easy to empathize with them.
It seems like it’s been a really long time since we’ve seen Kirsten Dunst in such a big, flashy leading role. civil war, you don’t know why. Dunst gives a nuanced and powerful performance as Lee, a self-confident, almost carefree veteran. Until she met her Jessie. In Jessie, Lee is horrified to see a younger version of herself. Lee knows that Jessie, whom Spaeny describes with raw emotion, is putting herself in danger. Choosing this life for her was probably wrong for her. So the mentor-mentee relationship, which should be simple, is always tense. Lee sees too much of himself in Jessie, but Jessie doesn’t care.
Their complex relationship, as well as the gravitas provided by Moura’s Joel and McKinley Henderson’s Sammy, reach their peak in the film’s final act, which sees the team finally arrive in Washington. Garland then unfolds a horrific and shocking war on the ground in the heart of the nation’s capital, featuring views of national monuments and more that feel similar to 1996. fourth. I won’t spoil what happens in this scene, but as long as the movie exists, all of this is destined to be discussed and quoted in the final minutes. It’s really fantastic.
ultimately, civil war It’s a Rorschach test designed to have maximum impact across political ideologies. You can watch and see whatever you want. Isn’t taking sides a bit of a cop-out? Should there have been more left or right-leaning stories? I would argue that there is no is author. Garland isn’t necessarily interested in changing anyone’s mind. He wants everyone to consider themselves and what those differences could mean in the end. And if playing it midway means more people can see it, that’s just a bonus.
civil war It’s in theaters on Friday.
Want more io9 news? Find out when the latest news comes out. Marble, star Warsand star trek Release, what’s next? DC Universe through movies and TVAnd everything you need to know about the future doctor who.