Review: ‘Civil War’ Doesn’t Quite Hit the Target

Civil War is a frightening vision of what America could become. Through the lens of a group of war photographers and journalists, director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) captures the horrors of a United States in the middle of a civil war. But why is this happening? And does the film’s logic make sense? The bigger question one might be considering is whether that is important from the perspective of the journalists at the forefront of the film. The only story left to capture in this hellscape is an interview with the president (Nick Offerman). From New York to Washington, D.C., they must traverse through cities filled with death and gun happy soldiers.  While Civil War is artfully shot with an ensemble worthy of the highest praise, the questions left unanswered distract from the enjoyment and understanding of Garland’s film. There are so many interpretations to be made with the lack of context we’re given that the director’s intentions get lost somewhere amid the chaos. 

Civil War opens with a claustrophobic close-up of the president practicing a speech to the American people. While he muses about his own military’s success, shots are intercut with riots and bloody images from ravished cities. The president is a fascist leader in his third term in office. There are no victories, but incomprehensible violence in the face of corrupt leadership. Garland chooses to confront the audience with what could happen rather than picking a side. This is America at its worst.  

Continuing from the opening scene, the film’s protagonist, photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), and her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura), head to a riot in New York City, where they meet Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny) and witness a terrorist attack. The terrorist is a white woman holding an American flag. This is only a glimpse of what’s coming next in Civil War. The song choices are unsuitable for the film, particularly in this opening sequence. Since music isn’t an important aspect of any character, each drop feels as if Garland put it there because it sounded cool—it doesn’t work. Along with this, the film’s hyper realistic high-key lighting seems off-putting. Though this is an important element of the director’s style, the film would’ve worked better with shadows and dark frames.  

On their way to Washington, D.C., the journalists encounter a militia soldier (Jesse Plemons) and his partner. Smith is faced with the dilemma of confronting the men who “don’t want to be seen doing what they’re doing” or remaining behind the camera as an impassive spectator. The problem is that the soldiers have Jessie held hostage and a truckload of bodies to dump in a pit—someone is clearly going to die. The tension is palpable due to Plemons’ small but terrifying role. Audiences have no clue what side the soldiers are on; in fact, many of the soldiers blend in with each other. It’s near impossible to discern who is fighting for who in Civil War. In an America where soldiers shoot and don’t ask questions, Plemons, playing an absolute lunatic, plays into their fears and delivers the most memorable performance in the film.  

Besides the war itself making little sense, Civil War is decent enough to make up for its lack of logic. The journalists aren’t concerned with what each side is fighting for but with capturing the shot and letting others make the difficult decisions. There’s a lot to appreciate about Garland’s characters. As much as they try to survive, they know death may await them in D.C. The D.C. sequence is the most remarkable, anxiety-inducing piece of the film. It’s well worth seeing this film in IMAX to experience the full depth of the film’s warzone.  

Civil War is divisive; it’s unclear whether its faults are warranted or a cheap cop-out, but it sure is ambitious.  

3/5 STARS 

Review: ‘The Power of the Dog’ Finds Another Worthy Vessel

Her first film in 12 years, Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog is a venomous, suppressed exploration of masculinity on a disappearing Western front. Based on Thomas Savage’s book of the same name, the film follows two ranchers: Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), and his brother, George (Jesse Plemons). George is stocky and plodding, wears suits and is always polite. Phil is lean and whip-smart, but with a cruel tongue and a savage instinct at the scent of any perceived weakness – including his own. He dominates the ranch, castrating bulls with his bare hands and commanding the property with the steely swagger of a true “cowboy”. So, when George disrupts the ranch hierarchy and unexpectedly brings home a wife, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil utterly rejects her, beginning a campaign of psychological torture. But he faces an unlikely foe in Rose’s son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), as Phil and Peter’s growing relationship brings up deep secrets and a long-hidden yearning.

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UW Film Club Podcast #17: Spider-Man 2

“Sometimes to do what’s right we must be steady and give up the things we desire the most… even our podcasts.” This week Issac Flores brings one of the most influential super hero films ever made: Spider-Man 2. A personal favorite of ours, this film showed the world what a super hero film could be in the 21st century years before the MCU. During this episode talk about the interpersonal connections that make this film’s themes so effective, how it compares to other films in the same genre, and why we love this film so damn much. It’s pizza time on the 17th episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

On this week’s episode: Issac Flores, Cynthia Li, Louie Ghalib, and Greg Arietta.

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW.  Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts,  Soundcloud, Spotify, and Google Play, and tune in every Monday for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!