Cinema
Civil War
A visually immersive and thoroughly harrowing vision of a not-so United States embroiled in a messy civil conflict. Ex Machina director Alex Garland provides a photo-realistic fable of a fractured and divided superpower tearing itself apart from the inside out.
The politics behind the warfare are not explained in any great detail. All we know is several states have seceded from the union and a bullish President is struggling to hold on to power, with the rebel factions focused on taking Washington D.C. by force.
It's an unsettling premise for any nation, albeit a global superpower which holds itself up as a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world. Still, in recent years we've seen in real life just how polarised politics has become, not only in the US but around the globe, so the idea of clashing ideologies descending into all-out conflict really isn't that far-fetched, is it?
This sobering sentiment really is all we need to understand the premise behind Civil War. It's an anti-war film told from the perspective of a group of journalists who are documenting the horror as it unfolds. Kirstin Dunst plays photographer Lee who, along with her colleagues, sets out on a perilous journey on the open road in an attempt to get to the capital before rebel forces launch an all-out assault on the White House. Along the way, they witness the brutality of war at first hand and document the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire.
Garland keeps the action tight, lending a realistic documentary style to the proceedings that give Civil War an eerily authentic atmosphere. Shaky, hand-held shots plunge us head-first into the disorientation, fear and confusion of frontline conflict. It's a visual masterclass throughout.
It's a sobering tale that doesn't really offer any conclusions other that what we already know and, given the ongoing horrors unfolding daily in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, it's a cautionary tale that at first glance may seem completely unfathomable, but utterly possible given mankind's seemingly insatiable appetite for self-destruction.
Back to Black
Ever since the teaser trailer dropped online, hardcore fans of Amy Winehouse have lambasted this upcoming biopic of the troubled musical icon. Indeed, it's hard to imagine how a simple 'rise and fall' biography can tell us anything new about Amy Winehouse's spectacular career and truly tragic downfall. If you've seen the 2015 documentary Amy, you'll know what I mean.
Fifty Shades of Grey and Nowhere Boy director Sam Taylor-Johnson takes on the job of bringing Amy's bittersweet story to the screen, while rising star Marisa Abela attempts to sink into Amy's wildly creative and honest genius.
