"Civil War" is the most tightly wound film so far in 2024. It mostly shies away from the politics surrounding what led to the titular event. This is a smart decision as it will help to age the film better, from this critic's perspective. The snapshot (see what I did there) is that this is a film about photography. It's about people who capture humanity and human beings at their purest, most vile, most celebratory, disgusting moments. It is a rush to watch this film. The 'you are there' is strong with this one. It will or should win the Cinematography awards this year. Performances all hit their marks. The 1:49 runtime feels like 45 minutes. The famous scene from the trailer is every bit as gut-wrenching as you'd expect. One thing they really conveyed as filmmakers was the kind of psycho you have to be to enjoy or want to participate in war journalism. And don't get me started on the final sequence. What a set piece. Just see it. 2 out of 2 say stars. You'll get the reference.
12/5/2024 @ 16:16 First Iteration