Always Good Movies

Direction: Alex Garland
Country: USA

In Alex Garland’s latest film, Civil War, a tale of courage unfolds against the backdrop of a dystopian landscape ravaged by chaos. Led by renowned war photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), a small group of journalists, including Reuters reporter Joel (Wagner Moura), embarks on a perilous journey across a fractured country to interview the authoritarian US President in Washington, D.C., before the city falls to rebel forces. Accompanying Lee and Joel are veteran NY Times journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), considered too old for the mission, and aspiring photojournalist Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny), who flagrantly tags along.

The tense narrative predominantly draws from violence and human cruelty, yet it doesn't forsake humor, extracting it from unexpected situations. Little is explained about the motivations of the factions involved in the conflict, but there’s a stark warning about the consequences of extremism instead. While critical of war obsession and racism, the film emphasizes the neutrality of the journalists as they navigate the chaos with determination and addictive voyeurism.

Departing from his previous sci-fi works like Ex Machina (2014) and Annihilation (2018), Garland injects furious nihilism in his staggeringly realistic depiction of a near-future setting that, as it should, leaves audiences feeling exhausted and wrung-out. Flawless performances, including a notable appearance by Jesse Plemons as an ultranationalist militant, combined with a timely soundtrack featuring songs by Suicide and De La Soul, and a powerful score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, contribute to the film's impact. Civil War is a stone-cold stunner that captivates from start to finish.

Direction: Guy Ritchie
Country: USA

British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, whose career path had a brilliant start with Lock, Stock and Two Smocking Barrels (1998) and then fell into poor action flick clichés that kept going until the recent Operation Fortune (2023), returns to good form with The Covenant, a searing war drama with considerable edge-of-your-seat moments. In truth, there’s nothing mind-blowing in this fictional Afghanistan War story, but even if it doesn't shake us like a blast, it is not an unpleasant watch. I was not disappointed with the action scenes, which still indicate Ritchie’s tendency for bellicose cinema, but both the tension created and story development are more favorable this time. He also co-wrote and produced the film.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim star as the steadfast Master Sargent John Kinley and the intriguing Afghan interpreter Ahmed, respectively. Ahmed saves Kinley’s life when his unit is ambushed by the Taliban, but then is forced to hide with his family as the enemies put a high price on his head. Outraged by the apathy of the US Army in dealing with this matter, Kinley decides to follow his conscience and rescue him himself. It’s a linear but straightforward plot about retribution.

Often captured with handheld camera and featuring a score that emphasizes as much the heroic as the emotional side of things, The Covenant is not earth-shatteringly exciting, but manages to trace the political and cultural scenario of the time without overstuffing things.