Civil War may be about a war in America but don't be fooled into thinking it's a satire of current US politics. That's not say it has no political opinions, just that they are universal rather than Washington specific. Much as this approach may disappoint people who need to be constantly reassured they are on the right side of the debate it keeps the water clear so we can focus on what the movie is really about, journalism.
The story takes place in the near future where a fascist president is attempting to fight off an uprising led by the combined states of Texas and California (see, no current politics here). With the rebel army getting ready to march on Washington a group of journalists attempt to make the journey down from New York to the capital. What fallows is essentially a road movie that espouses the virtue of impartial journalism and takes a look at the kind of people who happily throw themselves in harms way to secure the big story.
The travellers encompass various stages of a journalism career. There's upstart stowaway Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), nearing the end of the line Sammy (Stephen McKinlay), top of his game Joel (Wagner Moura) and Kirsten Dunst's legendary photographer Lee Smith who has become jaded and is starting to feel the weight of all the horrors she has seen. Civil War may be director Alex Garlands love letter to the stalwart journalists he grew up admiring but it's no fluff piece, the characters are seekers of truth but they come with some pretty major flaws. Gung ho attitudes endanger lives and the desire to witness the action crosses over into outright ghoulishness at some points. The group as a whole are likeable though and the interactions feel real, adding to the tension.
And boy is there tension. This is not a bombastic, all action, conflict movie but a terse and grounded look at the messiness and cruelty of domestic war. The setting makes proceedings feel close to home (even us non Americans are so used to seeing the US on the big screen it's eerily familiar) and Garland shows a deft hand in creating his world. Pockets of normality punctuate the the house to house fighting and militia hotspots, juxtaposing the mundane against the horrifying. The director isn't afraid to let moments of silence linger, particularly during a terrifying encounter with a Jessie Plemons (aka mister Kirsten Dunst) led group of self-styled patriots.
Compared to Garland's other work Civil War does occasionally feel a bit "filmy". The young photographer character feels like a bit of a cypher, although Spaeny does a good job of bringer her to life, and it is fairly obvious where the various character stories are going.
This is a small complaint though when you consider the the craft and urgency of the filmmaking on display. Here's hoping Garland doesn't follow through on his plan to make this his last movie.
8 renegade states out of 10.
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