I was underwhelmed. In my opinion the hype about this movie isn't really justified. It's more of an A24 marketing stunt.
It's not about a civil war in america. The story revolves around a group of battle hardened war photographers who take along a rookie on their road trip from LA to Washington DC, where they aim to interview the president. On this way, some of them bleed, others have to take a bullet and die, that's very predictable, I don't think that's a spoiler if I tell that here, it's just a genre standard. A zombie road movie withouth the zombies.
I felt that the rookie was too young, she really appears like a tiny little girl, not at all 23 as is claimed in the movie. It's a little funny that in the end, she goes into the middle of warzone gunfights. So what, she evolved from a total beginner shocked into a freeze by a small explosion, into a hardcore war photographer willing to risk her life and capable of enduring people being slaughtered left and right and being sprayed with blood along the way, within ONE DAY? That her mentor Kirsten Dunst first detests her and is against her, in the end risks her life to save her, is also from the drama guidline textbook and to be predicted by the experienced cinema goer.
At the end of the day the movie isn't very political. It stays at the surface. Not much more than "guys beware, there could be a civil war in the US if we continue like this" comes across. The roots and origins of the ongoing civil war are not explained, the political opinions of the opponents are not described. There is one good scene, when a redneck asks on of the heroes, who appears to be south american: "what kind of american are you", but that's not enough for me.
The showdown has great actions scenes, it feels amazingly real, you are in the middle of it, almost physically.
Anyway. Just because a few complete retards stormed an empty government building in DC, it doesn't mean there will be a civil war in the US, guys. Relax. That was symbolic. They didn't even have guns. The army wasn't involved. History shows that other countries have to be much more scared of the US military than the United States themselves. I get it, a civil war is the only real war you ever had on your american soil, so the movie will strike a chord with american audiences.
I think the film will be much more successful domestic than abroad. It doesn't really speak to foreign audiences, it has little to offer for us, because it doesn't dive into its theme. It speaks more to the heart than to the brain.
The message isn't much more than: "a war photographer should dive right into the middle of any conflict and risk his life". But the photographers in this movie only bring to their viewers action footage of a war, exploitation footage so to say, which at then end of the day delivers just entertainment for a blood hungry audience, not anything deeper or more meaningful.
The big target and goal of the dramatic arc is for the photographers to reach DC to do an interview with the president in the white house. I won't spoil if they achieve their goal or not. But I asked myself right from the beginning, isn't there anyone in DC left to do that interview? Where are the thousands of journalists who reside in DC? Can't one of them do it? Doesn't the president himself an interest to give that interview? So, I must say, for me the dramatic goal of the story was a little weak, and I didn't get involved emotionally as much as I should to pay more interest.
I still give it a 7 for excellent filmmaking and the will to speak about an important theme.
It's not about a civil war in america. The story revolves around a group of battle hardened war photographers who take along a rookie on their road trip from LA to Washington DC, where they aim to interview the president. On this way, some of them bleed, others have to take a bullet and die, that's very predictable, I don't think that's a spoiler if I tell that here, it's just a genre standard. A zombie road movie withouth the zombies.
I felt that the rookie was too young, she really appears like a tiny little girl, not at all 23 as is claimed in the movie. It's a little funny that in the end, she goes into the middle of warzone gunfights. So what, she evolved from a total beginner shocked into a freeze by a small explosion, into a hardcore war photographer willing to risk her life and capable of enduring people being slaughtered left and right and being sprayed with blood along the way, within ONE DAY? That her mentor Kirsten Dunst first detests her and is against her, in the end risks her life to save her, is also from the drama guidline textbook and to be predicted by the experienced cinema goer.
At the end of the day the movie isn't very political. It stays at the surface. Not much more than "guys beware, there could be a civil war in the US if we continue like this" comes across. The roots and origins of the ongoing civil war are not explained, the political opinions of the opponents are not described. There is one good scene, when a redneck asks on of the heroes, who appears to be south american: "what kind of american are you", but that's not enough for me.
The showdown has great actions scenes, it feels amazingly real, you are in the middle of it, almost physically.
Anyway. Just because a few complete retards stormed an empty government building in DC, it doesn't mean there will be a civil war in the US, guys. Relax. That was symbolic. They didn't even have guns. The army wasn't involved. History shows that other countries have to be much more scared of the US military than the United States themselves. I get it, a civil war is the only real war you ever had on your american soil, so the movie will strike a chord with american audiences.
I think the film will be much more successful domestic than abroad. It doesn't really speak to foreign audiences, it has little to offer for us, because it doesn't dive into its theme. It speaks more to the heart than to the brain.
The message isn't much more than: "a war photographer should dive right into the middle of any conflict and risk his life". But the photographers in this movie only bring to their viewers action footage of a war, exploitation footage so to say, which at then end of the day delivers just entertainment for a blood hungry audience, not anything deeper or more meaningful.
The big target and goal of the dramatic arc is for the photographers to reach DC to do an interview with the president in the white house. I won't spoil if they achieve their goal or not. But I asked myself right from the beginning, isn't there anyone in DC left to do that interview? Where are the thousands of journalists who reside in DC? Can't one of them do it? Doesn't the president himself an interest to give that interview? So, I must say, for me the dramatic goal of the story was a little weak, and I didn't get involved emotionally as much as I should to pay more interest.
I still give it a 7 for excellent filmmaking and the will to speak about an important theme.
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