Everything to Watch This Winter
Warfare
Hot off the back of the critically acclaimed Civil War Alex Garland is back at us again another year in a row with Warfare, new film written and directed alongside Iraq War Veteran Ray Mendoza. The movie itself is a stream of consciousness real time film based on the memory of the guys (including Mendoza) who were caught in a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006. The film is No nonsense, immersively shot with a meticulously intricate set. It doesn’t try to be grand about the nature of war in Iraq. There was nothing grand about it.
The original operation was intended to be a fairy simple one. Three SEAL scout teams were sent a day ahead of ground troops to secure a route. Unfortunately one team set up their surveillance overwatch directly next to a house of insurgents, which lobbed them grenades and set up a deadly IED outside their escape point, which injured two of the men. By the time the second scout team arrived as backup the first team was well and truly surrounded. Finally the third team rolled in with tanks and was able to save the wounded under fire.
“This film is not only an immersive experience of warfare, but also a bridge to communication about the subject of combat,” says Mendoza. “Oftentimes a veteran or active military person wants to talk about war, or a loved one wants to understand it, but conveying the confusion of combat or seeing a friend wounded — those are hard things to talk about.”
“Memories come rushing back, sometimes closure and understanding follow,” Mendoza adds. “We were young when we fought in Ramadi and didn’t have the tools or the dialogue to talk about these things until 20 years later.”
The youthful angle was important for Mendoza to capture.
“Oftentimes war is depicted in movies by older men, with trendy faces of the moment who happen to be 50 years old,” says Mendoza. “I wanted very young guys in their 20s and 30s because that’s typically who’s fighting these wars.”
They went out to a group of actors who could endure the fast paced production days and intense physicality required for the 25-day shoot outside London in early 2024 — qualities described by Mendoza as the “fire in the gut” common among Navy SEALs going into combat.
The team assembled went through three weeks of bootcamp based on the infamous BUD/S system, to learn how to handle themselves, their weapons and their lingo. The Directors also layered in a power structure. “I created a system of communication where only the leadership could speak with me, which translated into the film,” says Mendoza. “It was my approach in creating the hierarchy because that’s how it works in the SEALs. It added another layer to this immersive experience we gave the actors in boot camp — things flowed so well because the actors became so familiar with each other.”
Breaking the formula of conventional war movies, Warfare pulls no punches in its frank and visceral depiction of young men under fire. “Reality doesn’t let people off the hook; when things are tough, there isn’t a dissolve or a cut or some music to cheer you up,” says Garland of his approach to making the movie. “You remain in that state until circumstances relieve you from pressure or the moment, and that’s what Warfare does — it adheres to reality, not the reassurances of cinema.”
Realism was added in the filming process itself as well, relying on chronological shoots which freed up the effects team to blow shit up and keep it that way. When you’re operating with practical effects it’s nice not having to rebuild a pillar after you’re done blowing it sky high.
The set was fully built so the camera team could wander through and shoot from almost any angle without the need of greenscreens to extend the shots. Actors could also roam naturally as well with the action, without the need for pinpoint precision, rather moving with what felt natural.
“This wasn’t traditional coverage, we would film these massive wide shots and then we’d go pick up smaller stuff,” says Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things). “Alex instilled in us this idea of knowing what we were doing at all times, almost like theater, which created an environment of freedom for the actors. The cameras could go anywhere, and so could we.”
Some of the shots stretched out to 15 minutes, requiring multiple takes. “Long extended takes allowed us to float through spaces where people are doing things concurrently — we could pick up realistic details you cannot script,” says Garland. “The actors were doing 12-minute take after 12-minute take, and wound up yawning, flexing, or scratching the back of their heads. What we captured was a sort of semi-reality — something that belongs to reality but exists within the film and gives off the quality of reality.”
F1
In Cinemas 26 June
Joseph Kosinski has been in stealth mode as a director making some of the most beautiful movies I’ve seen in the last Decade. Tron Legacy, Oblivion, Top Gun: Maverick and now F1 starring Brad Pitt.
Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising driver of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling F1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to F1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace.
The track footage is raw, dirty, and pulse pounding. Kosinski has taken what he achieved with Tom Cruise and Top Gun Maverick of putting the cameras directly into the action with the actors and creating what so many movies with greenscreen and CGI haven’t been able to, a real life adventure. To properly capture the action shoots were done on actual F1 race weekends. Lewis Hamilton is a producer and helped ensure the films authenticity. Down to getting Brad out on the track. “Watching Brad drive around at speeds over 180 miles an hour was really impressive to see, because it’s not something you can just learn overnight. And the dedication and the focus that Brad put into this process has been amazing to witness.”
The film was co-written with fellow Top Gun: Maverick alumni Ehren Kruger. “He just had that natural feel for grip in the car, and what we’re doing on this film is dangerous.” said Kruger. “You have to be fearless, and when you see Brad driving, that’s not acting. He’s really concentrating on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes. So that’s something that you just can’t fake, I think. I hope the audience feels that when they watch the movie,”
The movie was inspired by Kosinski embedding himself in motorsport during the Covid lockdowns and realising that the crews teammates often ended up being their greatest competition, and wanting to capture that feeling in film. He rang up Hamilton who was more than happy to help, and forwarded Kosinski onto Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes. Wolff suggested that he work around the cars themselves for filming and offered Mercedes F1 mechanics and engineers to install camera equipment into the six F1’s Kosinski bought for the film.
The budget for this film is insane, 300 Million in the hole. Will it break even? I sure hope so, cause this film deserves it.
Fountain Of Youth
On Apple TV+ 23 May
It turns out Indiana Jones as a concept is up for grabs now that the last film put itself in the grave. Director Guy Ritchie is going full popcorn flick with this one with writing by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Amazing Spiderman). It stars John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza González, Domhnall Gleeson, and Stanley Tucci. They’re all off on an intrigue action packed romp around the planet to knock over ancient statues and discover long lost puzzle rooms. It’s just a good dumb fun time to be had here with plenty of chases.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
In Cinemas 5 June
That’s it’s full title. I’m not even kidding, although they are also happy to shorten it to just Ballerina. John Wick is just that much of a sell now. It tells you everything you need to know. Ballerinas have been hinted at in the movies before, now this time we actually get to follow one in the form of Ana de Armas. She has a special set of skills, and not being as bulky as a guy her fighting style has to suit. Fortunately anybody can operate a flame thrower. What’s the plot? Well her family dies and now she has to kill everybody. Not as noble a cause as killing everybody cause they took your dog but we’ll make do. In the process they have to kill in the big guns, John Wick himself to deal with the murder rampage. Here’s your popcorn action flick for the year, directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld films, Total Recall) and written by John Wick Chapter 4 veteran Shay Hatten.
On a bittersweet note this is Lance Reddick’s final onscreen appearance. Ian McShane reprises his role and Norman Reedus plays backup.
The Rehearsal Season 2
On Neon 21 APR
Nathan Fielder is a genius. If you watched only the first few episodes of the first season of The Rehearsal then you’d probably assume that you get the gimmick. But layers keep getting added over time. Artifice on artifice in a way that only TV land can do. In the end he was able to draw genuine emotion out of events that are stranger than fiction while also being fiction. Probably. The series is ostensibly about going to absurd lengths to simulate reality so people can practice for real upcoming events in a safe environment. Season two focuses on airline safety. What Fielder instead creates is somewhere between psychological horror and the funniest scenarios I’ve ever seen in my life. I love it, I think it was made just for me. My partner hated it, because when TV shows are telling you a fake story she likes it to be purely consensual and clearly outlined. This is something else. Don’t miss it.