HMM: The Film ‘Civil War’ Is Not Entirely What You Think It Is.
[Writer/director] Gartland, who’s English and whose work has included “Ex Machina” and “28 Days Later,” has a subtle eye and a quirky sense of drama. He never answers the question of how the war began or who the “good guys” are. The film opens with a news announcer saying that 19 states have seceded including Texas and California, which have formed themselves into the “WA|” or Western Alliance.
Yes, Texas and California are on the same side. As I mentioned, don’t apply your own personal political views to this film. If you do, you’ll miss the point. The film uses the “Civil War” as a backdrop to explain and expand on journalistic ethics.
The cast is made up mostly of B-list actors, with some familiar character actors. Reviews so far have been mixed largely because of frustration with Garland’s refusal to take a side or give much context to the fighting of the war.
Last week, I praised the trailer for being surprisingly apolitical, so it’s nice to see that maybe the movie delivers on that promise.
But there’s also this warning from Christian Toto:
Terrible timing:#CivilWarMovie is a love letter to journalism … while an NPR insider exposes just how corrupt the institution is… pic.twitter.com/xEZiZzjSqL
— Christian Toto (@HollywoodInToto) April 10, 2024
For Hollywood, it’s always 1973 and the noble journalists are always just about to take down the evil, warmonger president.
Assuming he’s a Republican, of course.