Knee-jerk review: "Civil War"

1. Fantastic.
2. There are reports out there suggesting that this movie is apolitical, that it's focus is on the challenges journalists face covering a war zone rather than explaining which side in the war is "right."  That's true up to a point.  The third act definitely draws some parallels to real world politics as the action converges on Washington DC.
3. The "What kind of American are you?" sequence is absolutely chilling.  That alone is worth the price of admission.  Aren't we all just one kind of American?
4. Kirsten Dunst is probably underrated as an actress.  She looks more haggard and worldly here than we can remember ever seeing her.  It suits her.
5. We're glad there are people who want to go (unarmed!) into dangerous situations like this to record and report on what's really going on in the trenches.  But to do this sort of work, you have to have a screw loose.  It's just not normal to stand passively by and record and report on horrible crimes and violence as they happen right in front of you.  To its credit, the movie doesn't shy away from that fact.  There's an adrenaline junkie vibe to some of this; it's not all altruistic All the President's Men truth-seeking.
6. It's hard to screw up a road movie structure.  They almost always work.  You have a third act destination to work towards, which then provides a second act framework for all these little moments and vignettes along the way to ramp up the conflict and develop character.
7. Likewise, you really can't ever go wrong with a story that tells a variation of the seasoned mentor teaching (and also learning from) the inexperienced newcomer.
8. If you don't think this sort of chaotic, lawless conflict can happen here, you're pretty naive.
9. We understand why Kirsten Dunst's character had to finish the story the way she did, but how it happens felt very phony.  Which was disappointing in a movie that otherwise worked so hard to seem plausible.  This moment may be our only real criticism.
10. Ms. Cheese Fry really wanted more explanation for how and why this civil war started, but we very much liked the "fog of war" ambiguity.  Does it matter who started the war when you're in the thick of it just trying to survive?  This was also another interesting way to explore the mercenary nature of war zone journalism.  They don't care who did what to who or why.  The point is the story and the photos.  Covering a gunfight in Middle America is the same covering one in Haiti or Ukraine.
11. Writer-director Alex Garland's 2014 film Ex Machina is pretty much a sci-fi masterpiece.  Go find it and watch it if you haven't seen it.  This one may not be as polished as Ex Machina but it's a very close second.  
12. For the record, last night we watched Garland's 2018 film Annihilation for the first time.  We cannot recommend it.  Visually interesting we'd have to admit, but a slow slog that really doesn't go anywhere.
13. As we sit here and type, there are so many other angles and layers from Civil War to be discussed.  That's a sign of true art.
14. No matter your politics, you may queasy like we did watching American soldiers hunting the President.
15. It must have been quite the negotiation for real-world culture enemies Texas and California to team up and form the film's Western Forces. Their flag has two stars alongside the red and white stripes, which was a nice visual touch.
16. Another great sequence: "Who are you taking orders from?"
17. Not many films can be considered Important with a capital I.  This one feels like it is.

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