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167: Civil War (with Ursula Lawrence) (Patreon)

Published:
2024-04-24 19:41:59
Edited:
2024-04-25 01:56:52
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  • 167_Civil_War_with_Urs... - audiogram.mp4

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The comedy writer Ursula Lawrence (Drunk History, Adam Ruins Everything) returns to the show from Madison, Wisconsin to discuss A24’s first foray into blockbuster filmmaking, Alex Garland’s Civil War, set in a near-future America torn into factions, as seen from the perspective of an intrepid team of reporters travelling to Washington D.C. to get an interview with the totalitarian President on the verge of being violently deposed by the “Western Forces” of Texas and California.

Garland has described the work as an anti-war film where the particulars of the conflict are mere backdrop to a general story of combat journalists, but Ursula and I discuss Civil War’s politics anyway, what the film is and what it isn't, and kick the tires on its stated tone of ‘impartiality’ which seems more like faux-neutrality (with a Trumpian president and references to ‘the Portland Maoists’ that cater to the audiences’ already-existing biases).

Plus: an on-the-ground report from Ursula about seeing Civil War in a theatre in Madison that serves food and drinks!

Trailer #1 for Civil War (Alex Garland, 2024)

“JCPenney” by Bug Mane, 2023

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Comments

Kenny Hedges

Ecto-coolers! Thank God I wasn't old enough to think about putting alcohol in them, that sounds repulsive (https://ghostbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Ecto_Cooler). I'm with those who say this probably would be a five-star Cannon picture, but we don't get to have those anymore.

David Dein

I really enjoyed the movie. It's sort of a Zombie movie without the Zombies. But a few weeks ago it dawned on me that it really is Apocalypse Now if it was made by the team behind Top Gun Maverick. A movie about the glory of journalism with a nebulous villain.

Jesper Ohlsson

"Should I look anything up about politics in my movie that's ostensibly about a civil war breaking out over very serious splits along political lines?" " These days, I think it's important to hearken back to the old-school kind of journalistic integrity, when real work was done. For example, one of my characters takes photos with an old camera, so.. ergo." //This movie basically makes me feel like mr-burn's-diseases-getting-caught-in-doorframe as easy, barely thought-out dunks go. It sounds like a rich text for clowning on.

Brody

Really fascinating discussion from a pretty much entirely different set of reactions than my own. I think I am skewing positively on this film precisely because it doesn’t feel like it valorizes the journalists. They’re psycho vultures, frequently as vile as the folks whose actions they document (getting hard at the thought of violence, dunst’s itchy trigger finger on her camera whenever there’s some unspeakable horror afoot, etc.). I absolutely could be giving Garland far more credit than he deserves (I did see Men), but I think it is saying something interesting about the masturbatory way that some journalists talk about themselves and congratulate each other for their work contrasted with the brutal reality of their lack of empathy or self-awareness. Great ep!

Chris

I really don't think that much thought was put into the NGO footage. An assistant editor likely pulled that clip, and as someone who worked as one for years until fairly recently, when you're that underpaid and overworked, you often just grab whatever looks useful and throw it into a big folder for the editor to choose. I wouldn't be surprised if it was picked blindly and the source never actually came up until they entered finishing mode and even then the legal department would be the only ones dealing with licensing. Film Twitter likes to obsess over details like that but most of that type of stuff I've seen is just the result of carelessness

Jesper Ohlsson
>>136221669

Him basically throwing shade in interviews at "the current state of journalism" and bizzarely fetishizing (in a cargo-cult-kinda-way) old cameras from the era he feels is where Real Journalism died sorta undercuts that reading (from the director; it sounds like the text itself is probably open to that interpretation though). I guess it's basically a case of "how much does intentionality matter here"? I was listening to another pod about the movie, and there seems to be support for that reading when one of the characters basically says "the thing you're not supposed to admit as a conflict-reporter" (war is terrible..but, you know, kinda thrilling too, isn't it? It's a rush).

Jesper Ohlsson

..this clunker aside, it really is quite something that Jesse Plemons has become this new, "less-is-more" Seymour Hoffman-esque actor (and at such a young age). Good directors obviously play into his strenghts (mumbly, low-key expression) but it is notable that he managed to play one of the warmest, kindest men I've ever seen on screen in "The Power of the Dog", and also so profoundly believable as a psychopath in Breaking Bad (to the point where I kinda wondered if it wasn't stunt-casting of an actor who is legitimately "off" in his affect, and just happened to be in a tv-show). He's fantastic, and it's really fun to see new, very impressive talents like that. I don't mean it as a "find-and-replace for Seymour Hoffman", but Plemon's style is very reminiscent of what Hoffman did at the later stage of his career, when he allowed himself to be quiet, and do less (for more). (I also like that he basically looks like "every *that* guy you went to high school with". If he wasn't an actor, he could be a mechanic, or a real estate agent, or whatever.)