MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Dystopian War-Action/Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman, Nelson Lee, Evan Lai, Sonoya Mizuno, Jefferson White, Juani Feliz, Edmund Donovan, Karl Glusman, Jin Ha, Jojo T. Gibbs, Jesse Plemons, Jess Matney/Runtime: 109 minutes
Among the many tricks that the land of movie magic has been known to pull on audiences on more than one occasion, there is one that is perhaps among the most frustrating and quite head-scratching in equal measure. That being whenever a movie is presented to us via a trailer that, after you see the finished product, you realize completely and utterly misled us as an audience in regards to what kind of film we were getting. Yes you could argue that it’s the goal of a studio’s marketing squad and/or a trailer editor to do everything in their collective power to get your butt in a theater seat for a movie. With that in mind though, the main problem isn’t that these people are gainfully employed. Rather, it’s the fact that if you choose to advertise a slice of cinema in a way that is misleading it can definitely ensure that a movie goer can leave your movie feeling befuddled at best and utterly infuriated at worst by the fact that the movie they just watched was nothing like what the trailers they saw and got excited by had been leading them to believe which can then subsequently lead to a film’s respective box office maybe not matching up to the quality of the overall film. A fate that has happened to such slices of cinema as 1997’s Gattaca (which I love with a passion), 1999’s Fight Club, 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow, 2015’s Crimson Peak, and 2018’s Annihilation among other examples. The reason I bring this up to you dear reader is because the new slice of cinema from iconic helmer/scribe Alex Garland, the ominously-named Civil War, is perhaps the latest example of this phenomenon in action. To be sure, there is most assuredly a civil war taking place in the movie and yes the marketing materials that have been released for this film do want you to think that it is the titular conflict which makes for the core of the film. Imagine my surprise then to tell you that it is not (if you can imagine anything about the land of movie magic even being able to surprise me in the first place). Instead, this film is more so about a quartet of photojournalists who do everything in their power to showcase the chaos and anarchy unfurling literally before them, how difficult it truly is for these people to merely present to us via stories and/or photos what they witness without directly getting involved, and the toll, both physical and emotional, that such inaction can result in. Yet even though this slice of cinema was not what I went in thinking it would be, there is no denying that this is still an incredibly hard-hitting film. Indeed it might have its issues, but with the aid of potent work on both sides of the camera Civil War is a taut and thrilling look at how in a conflict it doesn’t matter where your allegiances lie because eventually war does a number on everyone involved be they combatant or observer.
The plot is as follows: Taking us as movie goers into a possible future, Civil War gets its riveting and nightmarish narrative underway by revealing that things in this future we have just been dropped off into aren’t the best in the world for the United States as a nation (and no it’s not because traffic has gotten too far out of control nor is it because the Pumpkin Spice Latte has become the national beverage though the latter would definitely be terrifying). It seems that the current President, intentionally left unnamed, has (through the act of abolishing the 22nd amendment) transformed the democracy of the United States as the world knows it into a horrific dictatorship where he is now able to run the country as long as he wants to say nothing of how he sees fit. An executive action that, among other fallout, has seen the FBI dismantled and air strikes engaged in against American citizens. It also has caused the rest of the country to splinter into several different factions and engage in yet another civil war with each other (hence the title of the film). So it is in this period of time where chaos runs rampant on the streets, lawlessness is apparently the name of the game, and once more Americans find themselves fighting against their fellow countrymen that we are introduced to our main heroine in the form of a photojournalist of some renown and skill by the name of Lee Smith. A woman who, despite her immense degree of talent at her career path, has also become more than just a bit on the desensitized side due to all that she has seen. As desensitized as our heroine has become however, we soon see that she (alongside her colleague Joel) is given quite the intriguing opportunity. It seems that now that the President (if you can still call him that) has gotten his fill of violating rights left and right, he’s feeling surprisingly comfortable and willing to give these two members of the press an exclusive interview over the 4th of July (how conveniently timed). Of course, it might also be because so-called rebel forces are steadily making their way to DC as well to try and take the country back, but I digress. At any rate, we see that our dynamic duo, along with their mentor/fellow veteran reporter Sammy and an aspiring photographer who views Lee as a personal hero by the name of Jessie, decide to make the 897-mile journey from New York City to DC. Of course, as we all know, deciding to go someplace and actually getting there can and, more often than not, are two different things. A bit of knowledge that, when also throwing into the mix the act of traversing a war-torn landscape where anything can happen, this slice of cinema soon makes into a quite terrifying reality. As for what this means for our quartet to say nothing of what they witness along their distinct odyssey that I will leave for you to uncover….
Now right off, it should be said that the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing is really solidly done. This, without a doubt in my mind, starts with the top-tier work done by Alex Garland at the helm and he does a magnificent job here. Perhaps the most astonishing accomplishment to his work on this film from the director’s chair however is not the skill or finesse with which he shoots this cinematic production, but rather a gift for increasing his usual perspective in order to showcase for us a hauntingly busted up take on the United States as we know it. Indeed not only does this film’s landscape of abandoned car-clogged highways and deserted buildings conjure up a vital feeling of melancholic bleakness, but the moments where violence is unleashed are staged incredibly well to say nothing of viscerally crafted. Best of all however is how we see that Garland does a terrific job of establishing his core characters more as individuals who are aiming to get the best picture possible thus creating some distinct ties to the work he is doing at the helm of this film. Now if this movie were to be content with those aforementioned items and refuse to immerse itself beyond the typical moments where our main characters actually find themselves bonding then I would still find this to be quite the cinematic accomplishment. Remarkably however, we see that Garland, whilst wearing his screenwriter’s hat for this film, chooses instead to try and get to the bottom of what makes this frighteningly realistic possible future so distressing. In that regard, we see that what he is able to showcase for us through his writing is that what’s so distressing about this film isn’t the conflict itself nor the various sides to the conflict (though there are well-executed moments of violence and/or action that are sure to leave you tense and on the edge of your seat especially one moment late that feels like something out of a Call of Duty game). Rather, it’s no more or less than the toll that seemingly never-ending witnessing and recording of these types of situations has taken (or that it will take in one case) on each of the core 4 characters in aspects that are both intricate and clear as day that, as a result, see them choosing not only their respective career path, but also to engage in actions that other people might see as more than a wee bit reckless if not downright dangerous. Along with the terrific work done by Garland at both the helm and in the writer’s chair on this particular cinematic outing, the film also manages to be the blessed recipient of hauntingly gorgeous work from director of photography Rob Hardy. Indeed Hardy does a remarkable job of consistently throughout the film’s 109-minute runtime effectively juxtaposing typical Americana associated imagery such as a field of snowmen, a football stadium, and a quaint little community with their new purposes during this conflict including being a hunting spot for snipers, an aid station, and a place where gunmen have posts up on the various rooftops respectively. Suffice it to say that, when also incorporating fantastic work from both the cinematography department and from Ben Salisbury plus Geoff Barrow on the musical accompaniment, the film itself might not be perfect, but there is also no denying that the work done behind the camera here definitely goes above and beyond in ensuring this slice of cinema is able to be one entry in its respective genre that is unnerving, riveting, and thoroughly engaging all rolled into one intriguing cinematic package.
Of course, the other big element that can either help or hinder a slice of cinema like this without question comes from the work done by the group of performers assembled in front of the camera to bring the story being told’s respective cast of characters to life. In that regard, that is not a problem that this particular cinematic outing has to worry itself over since the cast of talent here all manage to give fairly strong performances. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with none other than Kirsten Dunst who is absolutely incredible here. Indeed, in the role of Lee Miller, Dunst does a phenomenal job at portraying this famous photojournalist who, despite her immense skill with a camera, is also someone who has become very desensitized and even a bit on the weary side due to all that she has seen both through her lens and with her own eyes. Yet with this particular road trip that she embarks on, we see that not only does Dunst slowly start to open up a little bit especially with the character of Jessie who she (albeit reluctantly) becomes a mentor to, but she also begins to show signs of a psychological nature that she is no longer able to retain her objectivity especially when it comes to what she has captured that is occurring right there in, for all intents and purposes, her own backyard. Suffice it to say that it’s a truly powerful turn from an actress that has given us her fair share of those throughout her career. Matching the work done here by Dunst beat for beat is the absolutely remarkable performance given by Cailee Spaeny. Indeed, in the role of Jessie, Spaeny does a masterful job of presenting us with a character that is yes a bit on the naïve to say nothing of ambitious side, but who really gets quite the crash course on the perils and pratfalls that comes with her chosen profession to such an extent that, as it really starts to set in throughout the film in regards to just what exactly this job will cost her, we see Spaeny do a brilliant job of consistently reflecting that in her performance. Lastly, I definitely think praise needs to be given here to Wagner Moura who is nothing short of top-notch in the role of Joel. Indeed Moura does a wonderful job here of playing a guy who is very much someone who lives, thrives, eats, sleeps, and breathes for the so-called moment yet who, without going into spoilers, definitely finds himself with this trip getting a heck of a lot more than he either anticipated or bargained for when he signed on. Suffice it to say that when you also include solid efforts from such talents as the wonderful Stephen McKinley Henderson who brings a welcome degree of reflectiveness and gravitas as veteran journalist Sammy, Jesse Plemmons who is nothing short of chilling in his role as a soldier that the group encounters, Nick Offerman who is surprisingly good as the sinister yet enigmatic President, Nelson Lee, Evan Lai, Jefferson White, Juani Feliz, Edmund Donovan, and Karl Glusman among others it’s clear that this particular cinematic outing might not be for everyone, but for those willing to take this journey the cast of talent most assuredly do their part to make it a worthwhile one.
All in all and at the end of the day is Civil War “2024” a perfect slice of cinema by any stretch of the imagination? Not even close though not by any means due to lack of effort on the part of either cast or crew. With that being said, is this the worst film that I have seen from any of the individuals involved in the making of this film both behind and in front of the camera? Thankfully, that is definitely not the case either. If anything, I think that this slice of cinema is one that is not going to be everyone’s distinct cinematic brew. Not just because of the fact that it is deliberately yet also uneasily ambiguous with what it is trying to say about where America has been, where it’s at, and where it might be going. Nor for that matter is it because the film is not the film that the marketing machine over at A24 has been trying to convince audiences it is. Rather, it’s also the fact that this slice of cinema is being dispensed to theaters mere months before a certain election happens in the United States. A release strategy that you cannot deny is sure to bring a fairly hefty amount of conversation (and not all of it positive or even productive for that matter) with it. Even with all of that in mind however, there is no denying that (to this critic at least) this slice of cinema is not only a riveting sit, but it also is a slice of cinema that is sure to be on my mind for quite some time. Not because the real world decided to mimic the reel world so to speak, but because of the phenomenal work done both behind and in front of the camera at showcasing for audiences a familiar yet terrifying all the same take on the United States as it would appear through the perspective of a combat journalist taking on an assignment that they perhaps thought they would never cover in their lifetime. Not of some far-flung beach on a distant land nor of a city reduced to rubble in a country where they are merely visiting for the sake of a story, but instead of towns and communities that are as familiar to them as perhaps the ones they grew up in and where the battles being fought aren’t in locales called Vietnam or Afghanistan, but in places with names like Virginia and Washington D.C. instead. Suffice it to say that it might be divisive, but with the aid of powerful work on both sides of the camera, this is definitely one potent and hard-hitting film that I can assure you will stick with you long after the last haunting image followed by the credits beginning to roll. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Civil War “2024” a solid 4 out of 5.
