Film Review – Civil War

Marketing for “Civil War” is trying to sell a movie writer/director Alex Garland didn’t make. Trailers and T.V. spots display a more distinct understanding of American conflict and leadership, but Garland (“Ex Machina,” “Annihilation”) focuses on those sent in to capture the horrors of combat instead, highlighting the contributions and self-control issues of photojournalists during a divided time in the country’s history. “Civil War” doesn’t paint a larger portrait of disputes and it’s not too concerned with resolution. It’s more about the strangeness of the experience, with Garland clearly lifting from “Apocalypse Now” to inspire his own take on the madness of warfare. Striking imagery is periodically displayed in the feature, along with steady performances from the cast, finding Garland intermittently inspired to take this story somewhere at times, seeking to depict a special mindset that’s challenged by the growing insanity of a broken nation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com