Civil War – Film Review

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman, Sonoya Mizuno, Jesse Plemons

Director: Alex Garland

Synopsis: A team of photojournalists document events on the ground as the United States is in the midst of a brutal civil war…

Review: “A date which will live in infamy”, the words of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the US naval base of Pearl Harbour came under attack on December 1941. However, they could just as easily have been words uttered in the wake of January 6^th, 2021, when the world recoiled in horror as supporters of the disgraced former President Donald Trump, attacked the US Capitol in a violent insurrection after being told straight-up falsehoods about the Presidential election held just a few months prior. As the world watched, the ugliness and the depravity of those scenes were scarred into our memories as a moment where it felt like the US was at a tipping point and could very easily descend into the second Civil War in its history. This moment, an unprecedented one in history seems to have inspired this grounded and harrowing tale of war in a bitterly divided nation from Alex Garland.

Set in the near future, the country is in the midst of a civil war with multiple factions locked in a brutal fight against the other. On one side stands the Loyalist states which have stood by the President (Offerman), who it’s vaguely suggested has become something of a dictator as he is serving his third term in office. On the other side of the battlefield, stand numerous other factions which have seceded from the union, including the New People’s Army consisting of states in the north-west of the country, the Florida Alliance and crucially the Western Alliance consisting of the states of California and Texas. As the Western Alliance prepares for an offensive against Washington DC, war photojournalist Lee (Dunst), journalist Joel (Moura), and veteran journalist Sammy (McKinley-Henderson) prepare to make the perilous journey to the capital to document the events on the ground and in the hope of interviewing the president. They are joined by aspiring photojournalist Jessie (Spaeny), who idolises Lee’s work.

One would have to have been living under a rock to not know that in recent times, particularly since 2016, the United States has become a very divided nation, fraught with bitter political tension. Therefore, Garland’s script chooses to not pick a side in this conflict and instead frames the hostilities from the perspective of the journalists. Brave men and women who risk their lives to document the hostility objectively in the face of any conflict. The decision to frame the film from the perspective of the journalists is a pointed one, particularly given the fact their jobs have become considerably more challenging in recent years, stemming from certain former world leaders using their platform to viciously attack the media for simply doing their jobs and bringing the facts to light, even as such spurious terms like “fake news” have become rampant. It is a sharp and necessary reminder of the essential jobs of the media, particularly in fraught times where conflict is raging, certain politicians who are only too eager to launch attacks on them as the foundations of society have crumbled, and civilisation as we know it has completely fallen into ruin.

Garland also uses this as a means to examine how the humanity of such journalists would be impacted when they have been in such close proximity to brutality and death for extended periods, particularly Dunst’s Lee. Within minutes of meeting her, you get the impression this is someone who has been through and witnessed more barbaric acts of violence and horror than any person should have over their lifetime. Dunst’s performance exudes a sense of world-weariness and exhaustion, yet despite this, she knows she must plough on, particularly given Jessie’s adoration for her and her work. Lee recognises Jessie’s potential, which prompts her to take Jessie under her wing, in a similar vein to how Sammy took Lee under his wing when Lee first started out. All the while Jessie, while keen to learn under her idol, is left severely shaken by some of the horrifying sights she sees while the group makes the journey to Washington DC.

To say this is a perilous journey would be a severe understatement, as Garland does not hold back with depictions of what a modern-day Civil War in the States could look like. Striking images of former metropolises once teeming with life, reduced to barren wastelands with buildings smouldering in smoke. Shopping centres are left totally abandoned. Hostilities break out in broad daylight, with bodies strewn across the streets, and in some instances, soldiers proudly displaying their victories as a warning to the opposing forces. It is, at times, disturbing to watch and Garland’s direction is gritty and captures the brutality and ugliness of what would likely happen if a Civil War broke out on the streets of the US in the modern era. One scene is so fraught with tension and anxiety, that you could cut it with a knife, and will send audiences’ heart rates soaring.

In a time when the news cycle is dominated by seeing numerous regions the world over and utterly grim and heartbreaking stories emerging on a daily basis, Garland’s film is topical, to say the least about the horrors and devastation of war. However, while it drops hints here and there as to the causes, with Offerman’s President spouting very Trumpian rhetoric and the flashbacks to the Capitol insurrection, the key context for the events that led to the breakout of the war is left to the audience’s interpretation. You could certainly make the case the film had plenty more to say about the state of US politics. However, in an election year, with political tension showing no sign of letting up amid an ever-chaotic and violence-stricken world, the overarching message that war is hell is received loud and clear.

While it could have had more to say about the state of politics in our world today, Civil War remains a tense and gritty look at a society torn apart by conflict and the pivotal role of the media.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – Film Review

Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Maya Rudolph

Director: Mike Mitchell

Synopsis: When alien invaders attack the city of Bricksburg, it leaves the city in ruins an several people are abducted, leaving Emmet Brickowski with no choice but to step up and save his friends…

Review: “Everything is awesome,” three simple words, and ones that whenever you heard them back in 2014 transported you to a world of bricks, and tiny yellow men and women, otherwise known as Lego. For decades, these simple bricks have provided children with endless hours of fun. So when a film about these bricks was announced, many assumed it would be a film marketed as a cash grab just to sell more bricks. However, it turned out to be a really witty and extremely entertaining piece of film-making. This is of course is 2014’s The Lego Movie, and yes everything was awesome with that film.

A couple of spin offs have followed in its wake, but now we have a direct sequel that picks up immediately from the first film. Everything seems to be going well until the city of Bricksburg comes under attack from some outer space visitors. Their attack has wreaked havoc on the city, turning it into a desolate wasteland of a very similar ilk to the Mad Max franchise. Years later, and despite the bleak circumstances, Emmet’s positive outlook on life has not diminished. However, that is put to the test when a subsequent attack results in the abduction of among others, Lucy and Batman by a threat from outer space, leaving Emmet with no choice but to rescue the ones he cares about.

Back when it came out, the first film was such a wonderful, innovative breath of fresh air, and extremely entertaining to boot, helmed magnificently by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Though the duo, are now merely on board as writers/producers, t’s clear that their influence comes to the fore and new director Mike Mitchell continues on the trajectory that was set by Miller and Lord. Inevitably, as tends to be the case with sequels, it does mean that it doesn’t feel nearly as fresh or innovative when compared to its predecessor.

The animation and the voice work are once again excellent, with Chris Pratt lending his voice not just to Emmet, but to a fearless warrior named Rex Dangervest, who feels like what would happen if the Lego counterparts of Han Solo and Star Lord had a child. There is an aspect to this story, concerning Tiffany Haddish’s character that could leave some viewers a bit frustrated as it’s a bit superficial, and not very well executed. This isn’t to say that there is nothing substantial as there are some elements, particularly towards the end that are much stronger in terms of the messages they deliver.

However, with plenty of extremely amusing references to some other pop culture properties, it keeps the plot moving along. These will keep the adults entertained, as unfortunately the film unlike its predecessor does feel more aimed at the younger demographics. Furthermore, while “Everything is Awesome” was this insanely infectious piece of delightful pop music that was impossible not to love, this movie’s version of that song is not quite as catchy, or indeed memorable, despite its best effort to be exactly that.

Not as innovative or as witty as its predecessor(s), and the story is hit or miss with its messages. Yet some extremely entertaining pop culture references ensure that this is a mixed, but entertaining, bag of bricks.