An issue as contemporary and important deserves a better, much better, treatment. The only good aspect is the sound editing. Photography, for a film about photojournalists, is disappointing to say the least. At its best it's merely ordinary. The acting is also disappointing with only two good performances from the major players. In fact, the only outstanding performance is from an uncredited actor. But the real core of the problem is the script and direction, which apparently is the domain of one single person, Alex Garland.
The film is so predictable you could write it yourself. There isn't a surprise anywhere along the way, except at the end, where there is a fatal mistake which I'll talk about later.
(Having just spent a lot of time writing my new book "The Civil War: How it Started and How to End it" I'm pretty much tuned into secessionist movements from the 1600 to 2024, so I feel comfortable with my next remarks)
The writer's conception of how a secession would happen in the U. S. is completely ridiculous. It reads more like it was written by a foreigner (which Garland is). The idea of Texas joining forces with California is so aberrant I needn't discuss it any further.
DON'T READ FURTHER - SPOILER ALERT.
If everything else doesn't indicate what a poor film this is, at the end, the senior photographer (Kirsten Dunst) gets killed saving the life of her junior partner (Cailee Spaeny). Junior then goes on to take the "money shot" BUT she should have picked up Dunst's camera and taken the shot with that camera, indicating the passing of the torch. That's what a better writer would have done.
The film is so predictable you could write it yourself. There isn't a surprise anywhere along the way, except at the end, where there is a fatal mistake which I'll talk about later.
(Having just spent a lot of time writing my new book "The Civil War: How it Started and How to End it" I'm pretty much tuned into secessionist movements from the 1600 to 2024, so I feel comfortable with my next remarks)
The writer's conception of how a secession would happen in the U. S. is completely ridiculous. It reads more like it was written by a foreigner (which Garland is). The idea of Texas joining forces with California is so aberrant I needn't discuss it any further.
DON'T READ FURTHER - SPOILER ALERT.
If everything else doesn't indicate what a poor film this is, at the end, the senior photographer (Kirsten Dunst) gets killed saving the life of her junior partner (Cailee Spaeny). Junior then goes on to take the "money shot" BUT she should have picked up Dunst's camera and taken the shot with that camera, indicating the passing of the torch. That's what a better writer would have done.