Civil War (2024) Dir: Alex Garland
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Alex Garland's polarising take on a future American Civil War had intrigued me greatly from the moment it was announced, but, like many films this year, I had to wait until it arrived on streaming services to watch it. Despite a relatively disappointing reception, I was still keen to watch it - the premise fascinated me.
I knew that the film suffered with audiences, seemingly because of its misleading marketing, a lot of people expected more of an outright war film, or at least one that had a more defined political stance, rather than a journalism-based thriller.
The film is deliberately vague, which some criticised, understandably, however, I can totally understand why they did that. I can also understand why the film didn't sit so well with certain audiences, especially in the United States - after all, their political climate is not in the healthiest position, as of late.
Despite its relatively slow-burn nature, I found a lit of the film incredibly tense - the film was full of uncomfortable and intense scenes, especially the one featuring Jesse Plemons, which I believe received a lot of praise by moviegoers, and for very good reason. The overarching story was a little weak, but the characters and premise made it a lot more interesting.
The realism of the film made it feel both incredibly authentic and harrowing. There were some brutally stark depictions of warfare - be it the actual combat, or the fallout around it. The film explored themes of trauma, war, political identity, ethics, morals, loss of innocence and more, all in a candid and blunt way, which was both intriguing and poignant.
The cinematography was very satisfying, as is to be expected from Garland films. I think the photo freeze frames were surprisingly effective - they were very impactful, and allowed brief moments of reflection amongst the chaos. The framing in general was very good, and the hand-held camerawork allowed brought the audience into the midst of the action.
Kirsten Dunst gave a commendable portrayal of a worn down and desensitised war photographer. I liked the way she offset her co-stars with her personality and reactions. I was also very appreciative of the way her character changed - It was a compelling arc, which Dunst enacted well.
Wagner Moura was the brief light relief, and while his performance wasn't so emotionally impactful, I found him both endearing and interesting to watch - especially in regards to his evolution from the start of the film to its end.
Cailee Spaeny grew on me, throughout the film. I wasn't sure of her initially, but once I got used to her, and once her character began to show a little more personality, she got me onside. She worked well with her co-stars, but her best moments came when her character was more isolated.
Stephen McKinley was the best of the rest - I almost always enjoy his acting. He had some very sincere little moments, which made his character worth his weight in gold. I liked how he showed the caring, fatherly position of his character.
I will also give deserving mentions to the likes of Nelson Lee, Nick Offerman, Jefferson White, Evan Lai and Jesse Plemons, who, despite their minimal roles, all had at least one memorable scene to their name.
Overall, although I can certainly see why some people didn't like it, I very much did. I thought it was pretty intense, and while its anti-war messaging may have been a little basic and non-committal, but I can see why, and it doesn't really hold back the film, in my opinion. I thought it gave us a lot in terms of the fetishisation of violence, especially in war.
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