I mildly disliked Civil War for different reasons. It all felt so manufactured and distant. I will give “Shattered Glass” a shout out too! It’s so good and underrated.
Going to watch ‘The Gangs of New York’ again with your perspective analysis.
I’ll watch ‘Civil War’ when I don’t have to pay for it.
But the name and the topic made me wonder if there was any Government money behind it because people almost expect it to happen ever since Obama was elected. They HAVE done it before. Maybe if it looks horrible people won’t WANT it to happen.
I don’t like to just comment here. I with your substack was like a book club, but about movies, and you and your subscribers all joined in a discussion.
My country cousin has been collecting arms since 9/11 and I think he has enough to arm the small town of Vevay, Indiana. Thought shalt not take our town!
I'm here for the discussion. Just watched Civil War, and I really liked it. Not sure if it's because I'm from the UK rather than the US, but it seems to me that maybe people are dissatisfied because Alex Garland doesn't take a side here. But I do love his filmmaking generally, and I thought Kirsten Dunst's performance was really impressive - ground down and literally dead-eyed. For me it was a pretty mesmerising evocation of how a society which you think you know well can just collapse. More than the final White House scenes, the standoff at the funfair and then Jesse Plemons in his red glasses really racked up the tension. And Gangs of New York is quite good too...
One reason Plemons's performance is so memorable—I think he steals the movie—is that his character is grounded in a very real American political reality. That specificity adds something to a film that trades in generalities too much.
As a filmmaker, Garland is capable of creating unbelievable tension. He has a gift for that.
💯 agree. Wait for cable on this one. I was bored for 90% of it. Then the final 10 minutes at least there’s some action—but as you said—a shallow interpretation that takes no stand.
I mildly disliked Civil War for different reasons. It all felt so manufactured and distant. I will give “Shattered Glass” a shout out too! It’s so good and underrated.
Going to watch ‘The Gangs of New York’ again with your perspective analysis.
I’ll watch ‘Civil War’ when I don’t have to pay for it.
But the name and the topic made me wonder if there was any Government money behind it because people almost expect it to happen ever since Obama was elected. They HAVE done it before. Maybe if it looks horrible people won’t WANT it to happen.
I don’t like to just comment here. I with your substack was like a book club, but about movies, and you and your subscribers all joined in a discussion.
My country cousin has been collecting arms since 9/11 and I think he has enough to arm the small town of Vevay, Indiana. Thought shalt not take our town!
I mean I WISH people would discuss the films you review. Can’t we interact?
Sorry, I couldn’t find the place to edit my post.
I'm here for the discussion. Just watched Civil War, and I really liked it. Not sure if it's because I'm from the UK rather than the US, but it seems to me that maybe people are dissatisfied because Alex Garland doesn't take a side here. But I do love his filmmaking generally, and I thought Kirsten Dunst's performance was really impressive - ground down and literally dead-eyed. For me it was a pretty mesmerising evocation of how a society which you think you know well can just collapse. More than the final White House scenes, the standoff at the funfair and then Jesse Plemons in his red glasses really racked up the tension. And Gangs of New York is quite good too...
One reason Plemons's performance is so memorable—I think he steals the movie—is that his character is grounded in a very real American political reality. That specificity adds something to a film that trades in generalities too much.
As a filmmaker, Garland is capable of creating unbelievable tension. He has a gift for that.
💯 agree. Wait for cable on this one. I was bored for 90% of it. Then the final 10 minutes at least there’s some action—but as you said—a shallow interpretation that takes no stand.