2020-2029, Film Review

Civil War (2024)

Posted on April 14, 2024April 23, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

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.

2020-2029, Film Review

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Posted on February 27, 2024September 23, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures**

Dune: Part Two – Film Review

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Synopsis: After joining forces with the Fremen in the deserts of Arrakis, Paul Atriedes vows revenge on those who conspired against his family and murdered his father…

Review: “This is only the beginning”, as those words spoken by Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya), with Hans Zimmer’s incredible score, rang in our ears by the conclusion of the first half of this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s revolutionary 1965 novel, it was a tantalising tease of what was to come. However, it might have all been for nought, as a second film was not guaranteed due to the decision to give it a simultaneous cinematic release and a day-and-date release on streaming. With a $400m haul at the box office (a mightily impressive feat given the pandemic) and viewed by 1.9 million households in the US on its opening weekend on streaming. The audiences spoke, as did the Academy with six Oscars, and the Spice Gods greenlit a sequel. After a few delayed release dates, the time has come to return to Arrakis, and Denis Villeneuve has again defied the odds to deliver another magnificent demonstration of desert power.

Set immediately after the events of Part One, Paul Atreides (Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Ferguson) have fled to find shelter with the Fremen after his father Duke Leto and the majority of his House were murdered in a coup orchestrated by the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Skarsgård) aided by the Sardaukar troops provided by the Emperor Shaddam Corrino (Walken). Though Paul is determined to get revenge, he initially opts to put this to one side and seeks to learn the ways of the Fremen to gain their trust as they see him and his mother as outsiders. Meanwhile, given her status as Bene Gesserit, the Fremen give Jessica an extremely important role within their community. While Paul learns the ways of the Fremen, the work of the Bene Gesserit has convinced some Fremen that Paul is the Lisan Al Gaib or “Voice from the Outer World”. This puts Paul in a moral quandary as to whether he is the prophesied messiah for the Fremen as he simultaneously continues to have horrifying visions for what the future might lead to.

Adapting the first novel in Frank Herbert’s legendary series was always considered to be an unfilmable task, just ask David Lynch. It just goes to show that betting against Denis Villeneuve is never a good idea because he thoroughly proved all the naysayers wrong. With seriously impressive world-building to give any epic franchise of the like a run for its money, Part One immersed the audience in this universe as if you were walking on the sand dunes of Arrakis themselves. However, this was a mere prelude for what Villeneuve and returning screenwriter Jon Spaihts have in store.

Part One walked so Part Two could, like a native Fremen, ride a sandworm in tremendous style. Across 165 spice-fuelled minutes, Villeneuve and Spaiths take all the world-building and the foundations laid by the first film and turbocharge them to deliver an equally epic, but considerably darker, emotionally charged and more action-packed second chapter. Alongside Paul learning the ways, and language of the Fremen, Chani and Paul begin to develop a romance and furthermore, all-out war between the Fremen and House Harkonnen as the former works to disrupt the latter’s spice production. On another side of the Universe, the Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan (Pugh), who is also a disciple of the Bene Gesserit, begins to grapple with the consequences of the Harkonnen’s attack on the Atreides and the part her father played in engineering their downfall.

Despite the extensive and star-studded cast, such epic franchises can live or die based on the central character at the centre of this journey. Once again, Chalamet demonstrates why he is one of the finest actors of his generation as he gives what could well be a career-defining performance. Part One was very much about Paul striving to learn from leaders around him, such as his father and others he looked up to. Now, he is very much thrust into the spotlight of becoming not just a leader of the Fremen, but something much more. Chalamet magnificently balances Paul’s desire to lead the Fremen to victory against the Harkonnens, but also shows hesitancy to embrace the path that has been put at his feet by the Bene Gesserit. Fremen leader Stilgar (Bardem) is only too eager to believe this notion of a messiah, much to Chani’s chagrin. Zendaya is thankfully given much more to do this time around, beyond the extended cameo she had in Part One. The chemistry between her and Paul, like the dunes of Ararakis, is scorching hot, though there is a lingering doubt in her mind as to whether Paul could be this messiah-like figure and if he is willing to embrace that destiny.

Like Gurney Halleck playing the baliset, there is not a false note in any of the performances. Though out of all the new cast members, the standout by far is the ruthless and psychotic Feyd-Rautha played by Austin Butler, another actor whose rise to stardom is also on an unstoppable trajectory. The perfection of the cast’s performances is matched by the incredible work of Villeneuve and his crew. Whether it’s the roar of the sandworms or the thrum of a thumper, the work of the sound design team makes you feel these sounds with maximum force, especially in IMAX. Likewise, Greig Fraiser’s cinematography be it the bright oranges of Arrakis deserts or the harsh black-and-white palette of the Harkonnen homeworld of Giedi Prime never fails to dazzle. The VFX work once again reinforces what happens when artists are given time to perfect their craft, and of course, Hans Zimmer once again delivers another impeccable and evocative score.

It would be easy to get lost down the wormhole of lore the film throws at the audience and while it does teeter on the brink of buckling under all of the weight of said lore, one cannot deny the spectacle and visual majesty of what Villeneuve has brought to the screen. Ever since he broke into the Hollywood mainstream – with a run stretching from 2013’s Prisoners to now – each passing film has shown Villeneuve to be a master at combining emotional human struggles, with the sort of spectacle which is absolutely worth the price of a ticket and a reminder of the sheer power that cinema can have. Villeneuve has made no secret of the impact the novel had on him in his youth and one that also changed science fiction forever. In what is an already superb filmography, this magnificent two-part adaptation will (like its source material) stand the test of time, as one of the most epic sci-franchises ever and perhaps the pièce de résistance of Villeneuve’s mightly impressive filmography so far. Power over spice is power over all, indeed.

Building on the epic foundations laid by its predecessor, this magnificent sequel is another visually majestic reminder of the unstoppable force of desert power and the force of nature behind the camera that is Denis Villeneuve.

2020-2029, Film Review

Dune (2021)

Posted on October 20, 2021February 27, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures**

Dune – Film Review

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Synopsis: On the harsh desert world of Arrakis, the Atreides family are entrusted with the stewardship of the planet that is home to the most valuable resource in the world….

Review: When it comes to science fiction and fantasy storytelling, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are two of the pinnacles of the genre, and have inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences. Yet, there is another body of work that is hugely influential to the genre. A story that featured a vast array of planets and civilisations, hailed by many as the greatest science fiction novel of all time. Now, in the hands of one of the finest directors working today, a new adaptation of Dune is here, and ready to win over a brand-new generation of fans.

In the far future, the most valuable resource is the spice Melange, harvested on the planet of Arrakis. For years, the planet and its people, the Fremen, have been under the brutal rule of the Harkonnens, who have ruled with an iron fist of fear. Now, it has been decreed that the planet, and the monumental task of mining the spice, will fall to the House Atreides, led by Duke Leto (Isaac). By his side, will be his son Paul (Chalamet) and Paul’s mother, the Lady Jessica (Ferguson), who belongs to a mystical order of powerful women known as the Bene Gesserit. There’s a lot of pressure on Paul’s shoulders, as the Bene Gesserit believe Paul could one day turn out to be the Chosen One.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Frank Herbert’s novel has been adapted for the big screen. However, for reasons that are far too numerous to list here, David Lynch promptly disowned his 1984 adaptation upon release. Villeneuve has cited Dune as one of his favourite novels growing up, and from the very first minute, it is clear why he was the perfect director to helm this new adaptation. A glance at Villeneuve’s body of work has demonstrated his outstanding skill to bring jaw-dropping visuals to any story he directs, often in part due to astounding cinematography. While there’s no Roger Deakins behind the camera here, Greig Fraser is an extremely capable replacement. The gorgeous visuals are expertly combined with the sheer scale of this universe, and it is nothing short of epic.

Due to the extremely dense nature of the source material, it is a necessity for Villeneuve and writers Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, to take their time. There is a staggering amount of existing lore and mythology to establish, as well all the various planets and Houses that exist within this story. It would be easy for any newcomers to get lost in the enormity of the world-building. Hence, the screenplay bides its time, and gives the audience ample opportunity to take everything in. The use of the practical, real life sets for the film’s production design, such as the immense Jordanian desert amplifies the impressive nature of the construction of this universe. As Villeneuve memorably said in an interview last year, “They didn’t shoot Jaws in a swimming pool!” The use of practical sets adds so much richness to the film and ultimately it makes it unlike anything that we’ve seen in this type of big-budget blockbuster filmmaking in a very long time.

At the centre of all this is Chalamet’s Paul. He’s an actor who has carved himself a career in a plethora of Indie films over the years. The central role in a gargantuan behemoth that is Dune, is quite the step up. However, he makes that transition into a leading man seamlessly. Ferguson as the Lady Jessica is a fierce and strong-willed woman. However, there is a vulnerability that she brings to the role as she is fiercely protective of her son and the gifts that he possesses. This adds considerable depth and nuance to the relationship between Paul and Jessica. Oscar Isaac brings a lordly aura to that of Duke Leto. Yet, despite his very many duties as the leader of a great House, he still exhibits warmth, especially where Paul is concerned.

Meanwhile, the characters of Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho and Josh Brolin’s Gurney Halleck, core components of the inner circle of House Atreides, are the notable standouts. Opposing the Atreides, is the ruthless House Harkonnen. Right from the moment they are introduced, they are instantaneously the foreboding and ominous threat that any film with such a richly developed universe, incomparable in its scope and majesty, requires. Furthermore, Stellan Skarsgård as the villainous Baron, is an on-screen presence that you will not be forgetting in a hurry.

Reuniting with Villeneuve after collaborating on Blade Runner 2049, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe just how special this score by Hans Zimmer really is. The true power of a good film score is how a single note can transport you into that world, and this score by Zimmer will take you back to Arrakis in an instant. While the cast are all phenomenal in their roles, given the obvious influences of Arab culture into the source material, it is disappointing that there is a distinct lack of MENA cast members present. However, as this film only represents one half of Herbert’s novel, a second part would give Villeneuve the chance to rectify that missed opportunity.

To give audiences one half of this incredible story, only to not tell the second half would be extremely disappointing. Sweeping epics like this seldom come around very often. Hence, the spice must flow sufficiently enough to ensure that second part will come to fruition, and not be something that will be swirling in our dreams from the deep forever more.