daniel-kyle
Joined Jan 2004
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Ratings397
daniel-kyle's rating
Reviews77
daniel-kyle's rating
These types of "alternate history", or perhaps 'alternate future history' movies usually intrigue me. And, on that level, the movie was worth the time. At least it wasn't an MCU superhero fantasy.
It's not a spoiler to say that it is supposed to be a warning against the course that America is on, at least with polarized politics. But what this movie really is about is the ethics of journalism. It joins many other War Correspondent films such as The Year Of Living Dangerously and Salvador, with a bit of Whisky Tango Foxtrot. This one, Civil War, features the perspectives of 4 main characters with a smattering of others for comraderie.
Placing the war WITHIN the USA while covering it as an almost foreign conflict is jarring, however. Allusion is made to the recent events of Charlottesville in 2017, and the White House attack of January 6th (2021). In that way, the story seems to extend into the inevitable outcome of the current social trajectory in America which could come to a head during the 2024 election battle between Biden and Trump (if it does come down to those two).
I am in Canada, and despite our own political disenchantment, there really is no parallel to this sort of civil unrest and violence, given the comparative lack of guns in civilian hands here, and our cultural milieu that diverged from the US when it had a Revolution against British rule and we stayed a colony within the Commonwealth, at least in spirit. Canada has "Peace, order, and good government" (supposedly) whereas America champions "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness".
I did not find this movie worked as a realistic scenario, however, in how journalists behave under fire, risking their lives. Kirsten Dunst was very good as the lead, and a short sequence with Jesse Plemons (her real-life husband) was excellent, and the only.15 minutes of the movie that I thought was accurately prophetic.
Therefore, I can only rate it a 6, and was a bit let down from my hopes for a rousing action-drama that made sense.
It's not a spoiler to say that it is supposed to be a warning against the course that America is on, at least with polarized politics. But what this movie really is about is the ethics of journalism. It joins many other War Correspondent films such as The Year Of Living Dangerously and Salvador, with a bit of Whisky Tango Foxtrot. This one, Civil War, features the perspectives of 4 main characters with a smattering of others for comraderie.
Placing the war WITHIN the USA while covering it as an almost foreign conflict is jarring, however. Allusion is made to the recent events of Charlottesville in 2017, and the White House attack of January 6th (2021). In that way, the story seems to extend into the inevitable outcome of the current social trajectory in America which could come to a head during the 2024 election battle between Biden and Trump (if it does come down to those two).
I am in Canada, and despite our own political disenchantment, there really is no parallel to this sort of civil unrest and violence, given the comparative lack of guns in civilian hands here, and our cultural milieu that diverged from the US when it had a Revolution against British rule and we stayed a colony within the Commonwealth, at least in spirit. Canada has "Peace, order, and good government" (supposedly) whereas America champions "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness".
I did not find this movie worked as a realistic scenario, however, in how journalists behave under fire, risking their lives. Kirsten Dunst was very good as the lead, and a short sequence with Jesse Plemons (her real-life husband) was excellent, and the only.15 minutes of the movie that I thought was accurately prophetic.
Therefore, I can only rate it a 6, and was a bit let down from my hopes for a rousing action-drama that made sense.
Even though Capra didn't spend much time in the courtroom, he made being a lawyer look very fun - he was much more of a private eye in his methods and daily routines, however.
This was one of the best, and unfortunately short-lived, series on the NBC roster in the Fall of 1978. The only other one that I recall was David Cassidy: Man Undercover (following the excellent Police Story episode the previous Spring). But Cassidy wanted that show to end as he hated being back in a TV series.
The rest of the slate - all of them - were cancelled by Fred Silverman when he was hired to revamp NBC's Prime Time programming, so instead we got Supertrain and Hello, Larry in the Spring of 1979 and Capra only ran just 13 episodes through to early January. There were some very good episodes, featuring the usual roster of current character actors appearing in many shows produced by Universal Studios, as well as a smattering of semi-retired or washed up has beens getting one more paycheck to bolster their retirement expenses.
Some have criticized the casting of Baggetta as the lead, but I always thought he was a compelling actor, having guest starred all over the place in the 70s, and with a later very memorable role on Hill Street Blues as a vicious detective.
Anyway, Eddie Capra got cancelled, and I became a cop, not a lawyer, after a stint as a private eye myself. But real life is much different than television. Yet, the Capra series was a brief flight on what could have been a long-running mystery/detective show in much the same vein as Columbo, except that we were tasked with figuring out the murderer(s) along with Eddie. A shame it disappeared so quickly.
This was one of the best, and unfortunately short-lived, series on the NBC roster in the Fall of 1978. The only other one that I recall was David Cassidy: Man Undercover (following the excellent Police Story episode the previous Spring). But Cassidy wanted that show to end as he hated being back in a TV series.
The rest of the slate - all of them - were cancelled by Fred Silverman when he was hired to revamp NBC's Prime Time programming, so instead we got Supertrain and Hello, Larry in the Spring of 1979 and Capra only ran just 13 episodes through to early January. There were some very good episodes, featuring the usual roster of current character actors appearing in many shows produced by Universal Studios, as well as a smattering of semi-retired or washed up has beens getting one more paycheck to bolster their retirement expenses.
Some have criticized the casting of Baggetta as the lead, but I always thought he was a compelling actor, having guest starred all over the place in the 70s, and with a later very memorable role on Hill Street Blues as a vicious detective.
Anyway, Eddie Capra got cancelled, and I became a cop, not a lawyer, after a stint as a private eye myself. But real life is much different than television. Yet, the Capra series was a brief flight on what could have been a long-running mystery/detective show in much the same vein as Columbo, except that we were tasked with figuring out the murderer(s) along with Eddie. A shame it disappeared so quickly.
Melissa McCarthy does not always deliver, but she is at her best here in a well-written, ultimately 'feel good' movie with fine supporting players - particularly. Paapa Essiedu whom I was previously unfamiliar with. He reacts well to McCarthy's schtick.
The other films that I liked McCarthy in were The Heat with Sandra Bullock (who also played the straight foil), and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which was a drama.
I gave this film a 9, as I found it always entertaining, funny, and unpredictable. I tried to guess where it might end up based upon the usual storylines, and was pleasantly surprised.
The other films that I liked McCarthy in were The Heat with Sandra Bullock (who also played the straight foil), and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which was a drama.
I gave this film a 9, as I found it always entertaining, funny, and unpredictable. I tried to guess where it might end up based upon the usual storylines, and was pleasantly surprised.