MRwOS Reviews "Civil War" and performs "The Scales"

Looking for a movie to stream? You might want to consider "Civil War". Listen to my review, along with my original song "The Scales", on MRwOS: Movie Reviews with Original Songs.

Welcome to Movie Reviews with Original Songs, aka MRwOS! I am your host, David Coile, and I’ll be reviewing a movie I’ve watched recently, then pair it with one of my backlog of original songs.

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In this episode, I’ll be reviewing the film “Civil War” followed by a performance of my original song “The Scales”

Movie: Civil War

“Civil War” is the new film by auteur writer-director Alex Garland, previously known for the excellent sci-fi movies “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation”. In this film, a small band of journalists (played by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson) make their way through a war-torn America in hopes of interviewing the U.S. President (played by Nick Offerman) in a besieged Washington, D.C.

Those looking for an insightful extrapolation of our country’s current political divisions will be disappointed. Instead, this movie critiques the role of journalism when covering conflict. What is the value of war reporting? What does it mean to be impartial? When, if ever, should a journalist intervene? Should the press be protected in a war zone? The fact that the film takes place in extremely familiar locations should be jarring to American audiences, with an overall message that once things go this far, the line between the good guys and bad guys is quite blurry.

The acting is universally great, the cinematography excellent, and the story and themes will challenge you. Be sure to see it with friends so you can have a vibrant discussion afterwards.

Song: The Scales

I wrote “The Scales” back in 2020, before the COVID pandemic really hit the U.S., but while President Trump was facing impeachment. The song was a bit inspired by that, and so I thought it would be appropriate to pair it with this film and its embattled Trump-like President.