CIVIL WAR is the story of a group of journalists in a war zone. In the near future, a civil war erupts between an authoritarian United States government, headed by a dictatorial President (Nick Offerman) and various secessionist movements like Western Forces, Florida Alliance, New People’s Army etc. Renowned war photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) is in New York covering the events of the war. She and his colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) plan to go to Washington DC to interview the President before the Western Forces take over the city. They are joined by veteran war journalist and mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a 23-year-old aspiring photojournalist Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny). Lee had saved Jessie’s life during a protest in New York. Lee is not in favour of Jessie joining them but Joel insists on taking her after she charms him. The 600-mile-plus journey begins. On the way, they encounter several challenges and also dangers. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Review:
Alex Garland’s story is incredible and imaginative. The screenplay is a bit dry at places but overall, it is peppered with several engaging and nail-biting moments. The dialogues are fine. Sadly, in the absence of subtitles and too much noise in the film, a few one-liners are difficult to decipher. The direction is great. He has a winning plot in hand but that’s half the battle won. One needs to do justice so that the desired impact is made. In this regard, Alex succeeds. The first half has some interesting moments but the best is reserved for the second half. The kidnapping scene by the militant (Jesse Plemons) is nail-biting. The climax is very gripping and the film ends on an astonishing note.

On the flipside, the makers don’t provide any backstory as to how the civil war broke out. One also doesn’t get to know properly about the various secessionist movements and who is heading them. Similarly, no information is given about the dictatorial decisions and working style of the President that led to the madness. Hence, in the end, it becomes difficult to understand which side is correct. Maybe, that wasn’t the idea of the makers. Yet, a little background would have been of great help.

Performances:
Kirsten Dunst delivers one of the finest performances of his career. She doesn’t go overboard and is natural while playing a celebrated journalist struggling with PTSD. Cailee Spaeny is a great find and plays a well-written character with panache. Wagner Moura is impressive while Stephen McKinley Henderson shines. Nick Offerman is hardly there but suits the part to the T. Jesse Plemons is damn good in a cameo. Nelson Lee (Tony) and Evan Lai (Bohai) are decent.

On the whole, CIVIL WAR is an engaging dystopian flick which rests on a powerful story and performances. At the box office, the awareness is limited but the novel plot, positive word of mouth and absence of exciting releases might prove to be an advantage.

A vida está repleta de momentos que merecem ser celebrados com todo o amor e dedicação. Na Miminhos Rita Catita, entendemos a importância desses momentos especiais, por isso, dedicamo-nos a torná-los ainda mais memoráveis criando Presentes Personalizados cuidadosamente selecionados.
Veja aqui os nossos Presentes Personalizados: https://miminhosritacatita.com/presentes-personalizados/

Vai ter um Batizado? A Miminhos Rita Catita também estará cá para ajuda-lo.
O batismo é um dos momentos com mais significado na vida de uma criança. Para tornar esse sacramento ainda mais especial, desenvolvemos uma seleção de Conchas de Batismo, feitas com materiais de alta qualidade e cuidadosamente decoradas para colobrar esse momento sagrado de forma única.

Veja aqui as nossas Conchas de Batizado: https://miminhosritacatita.com/batizado/acessorios-de-batizado/conchas-de-batizado/

Ter uma toalha de cor clara, macia e delicada para limpar a cabeça do bebé após o ato do batismo é também uma tradição cheia de significado. Na nossa loja, encontrará uma variedade de Toalhas de Batismo, cuidadosamente decoradas e com possibilidade de personalização para refletir a singularidade desse momento tão especial.
Veja aqui as nossas Toalhas de Batizado: https://miminhosritacatita.com/batizado/acessorios-de-batizado/toalhas-de-batizado/

Posto isto, como não poderia deixar de ser, temos também Velas de Batizado Personalizadas para iluminar esse momento tão especial. Na nossa coleção de Velas de Batismo, encontrará uma variedade de designs encantadores, perfeitos para adicionar um toque de luz e calor a essa ocasião tão importante.
Veja aqui as nossas Velas de Batizado: https://miminhosritacatita.com/batizado/acessorios-de-batizado/velas-de-batizado/

Agenda Gravidez:
A espera pela chegada de um bebê é um momento de grande alegria e expectativa. Para ajudar as futuras mães a registar cada momento dessa etapa especial, criamos uma excelente Agenda da Grávida, pensada ao pormenor para acompanhar cada etapa dessa maravilhosa aventura.

Veja aqui a nossa Agenda da Grávida: https://miminhosritacatita.com/agendas/agenda-da-gravida/

Handmade Invitations
Handmade invitations add a personal touch to any event. From intricate paper-cut designs to embellishments like ribbons and charms, these invitations showcase craftsmanship and creativity. They’re perfect for intimate gatherings or themed events where attention to detail matters.

Digital Invitations
In today’s digital age, electronic invitations offer convenience and eco-friendliness. Digital invitations can be customized with multimedia elements like videos and animations, making them interactive and engaging. They’re ideal for modern events and reach guests quickly through email or social media platforms.

Interactive Invitations
Interactive Invitation card create elevate the guest experience by incorporating elements like QR codes or augmented reality. These invitations provide an immersive preview of the event, allowing guests to interact with content or unlock hidden surprises. They’re innovative and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on recipients.

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. will spring into May with three online-only auctions totaling more than 1,100 diverse and highly collectible lots. These will include a Toys & Historic Ephemera auction featuring Part 2 of the late Howie Meyer Legacy collection on Friday, May 10th; a Toys, Advertising & Coin-Op auction on Saturday, May 11th; and a Petroliana & Advertising auction featuring the late Syl Rumas collection on May 12th.

Bidders please take note: the May 10th sale is different from Miller & Miller’s normal process.
It is an online-only sale with no live webcast portion. All lots are open for bidding now and will automatically close in sequential order starting at 5pm Eastern time on Friday, May 10th.

Taking the auctions in order, May 10th contains 340 lots of toys and militaria, with Howie Meyer the undisputed headliner. “If one word describes Howie Meyer and his toy collecting, that word would be ‘fun’, said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “His interests ranged from the mid-to-late 20th century and he had a great collection of pressed steel and tinplate toys.”

Condition was a foremost factor for anything Mr. Meyer collected. Themes include Disney and comic characters, ice cream, construction, space, Western and Americana. His interests also included World War and anti-Axis propaganda posters and ephemera, figural sewing tapes and other oddities. Whatever Howie collected, it had pizzazz and distinction,” Mr. Miller remarked.

Lot 198 is a complete, new in box Shell oil tanker truck from Smith-Miller (aka Smitty Toys), made in America in the 1980s. The die-cast steel truck, 35 inches in length and number 209 of just 250 produced, includes the original foam-lined shipping container. These high-quality trucks were crafted by Fred Thompson, who resumed ownership of the firm in 1979 (est. $600-$900).

All estimates quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars.

Lot 211 is an interesting collection of Tijuana Bibles and erotic ephemera from the 1920s to the 1940s. Subjects include popular comic strip characters and movie stars of the period. Most are 3 inches by 4 inches, while the largest is 8 ½ inches by 5 ¾ inches. Other erotic ephemera includes booklets and postcards. The collection, in overall good condition, should command $600-$900.

The May 11th Toys, Advertising & Coin-Op auction will feature 390 lots of advertising signs, soda advertising, toys, automobilia, petroliana, breweriana, pinball machines and coin-op machines. Included are the lifetime collections of the late Robert Spittel, the late John (Don) Ferguson and the late John D. Anderson. “It’s a fresh-to-the-market jolt of nostalgia, ranging from coin-op and pinballs to advertising, toys and historical finger food,” Mr. Miller said.

Lot 622 is a Genco Motorama coin-op driving game, made around 1957 by Genco Corp., a U.S.-based company that released approximately 238 machines under the Genco name. The machine, with dimensions of 59 inches by 44 inches by 28 inches, is in good condition, with the original playfield showing some fading. It’s marked “Genco” and carries an estimate of $9,000-$12,000.

Lot 684 is an early and exquisite John H.R. Molson and brothers single-sided porcelain Montreal India Pale Ale corner sign (Canadian, 20th century), 24 inches by 16 ½ inches. “IPA” is scripted beneath the profusely illustrated crown and anchor logo that’s central to the sign. The sign is in very good condition, with good color and gloss and outstanding graphics (est. $9,000-$12,000).

Lot 621 is a Bally Gilligan’s Island pinball machine made in America in 1991 and fully restored. The early and sought-after DMD display machine is a fun, family-friendly game that even plays the theme song from TV’s Gilligan’s Island. The goal of the multi-ball game is to collect the ingredients and save the island from Kona, the volcano. The pre-sale estimate is $6,500-$8,000.

The Petroliana & Advertising auction on May 12th is a three-part event that puts the spotlight on the Supertest petroliana collection of the late Syl Rumas of London, Ontario (signs, Canadian gas pumps, cans and ephemera, much of it unused), plus petroliana selections from the collection of the late Ken Hatt of Inverness, British Columbia (signs, Red Indian ephemera, Red Head tins).

Lot 995 is a White Rose Gasoline “Slate Boy” double-sided porcelain service station sign, made in Canada in the 1940s, 48 inches in diameter, marked “Vilas Enamel Products Ltd, Cowansville, Que” lower edge. This sign isn’t chalky and has great color and gloss (est. CA$9,000-$12,000).

Lot 1067 is a round Supertest Gasoline double-sided porcelain sign, five feet in diameter and contained in the aluminum frame and hardware, made in Canada in the 1940s. The sign is in excellent condition save for small patches of porcelain loss on each side (est. $8,000-$12,000).

Lot 982 is a Canadian 1930s Wayne Model 65 B-A gasoline pump, painted steel with applied decals. It has the original reverse painted ad glass and an attractive Art Deco “skyscraper” design. The globe is reproduction. The pump stands 77 inches tall by 27 inches wide and has been restored to British American colors. It is expected to change hands for $5,000-$7,000.

While these are online-only auctions with no live gallery bidding, bidders can tune in to the live webcast on auction days, to watch lots close in real time. Here’s a link to all three auctions:

THE FALL GUY is the story of a stunt performer in deep trouble. Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is a stunt double for famous Hollywood actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Colt is working on a film where he meets camera operator Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Both fall for each other. While doing a stunt, the wire snaps and Colt suffers a major injury. A devastated Colt quits his career and also ghosts Jody. Eighteen months pass. Colt is now working as a valet driver at a Mexican restaurant. This is when he’s contacted by producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), an old friend. She was also the producer of the film on which Colt suffered the accident. She asks Colt to join the Sydney schedule of her next film, Metalstorm, starring Tom Ryder. Colt, at first, is reluctant, but he instantly agrees when she tells him that Jody is the director and that she specifically asked for him. Colt reaches the set only to realize that Jody never asked for him and that she’s upset with his behaviour. Meanwhile, Gail reveals to Colt that Tom has disappeared after getting involved with drugs. Hence, she wants Colt to find out where he is or else, the studio will shelve the project. Colt agrees and starts with his mission. He soon realizes that he’s got into the wrong books of certain dangerous people. On top of it, he also discovers a dead body in a hotel room. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Review:

The screenplay is interesting and also very creative. The dialogues are witty and enhance the humour quotient. David Leitch’s direction is first-rate. He keeps the mood light and hence, ensures that the film has widespread appeal. He also works hard on the electrifying chemistry between the lead actors and it makes for a great watch. The film also has novel scenes that keep the interest going. On the flipside, the makers don’t invest enough time in depicting the love affair or even the equation between Colt and the lead actor.

Ryan Gosling is adorable and apt for the role of a man who messes up with his girl and yet, the audience shouldn’t hate him. Ryan fits the bill and with his effortlessness, he takes the performance many notches higher. Emily Blunt, as expected, leaves a mark. Her comic timing is spot-on and she’s lovely in the emotional scenes. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is fair while Winston Duke is too good. Hannah Waddingham lends able support. Teresa Palmer is wasted. Stephanie Hsu (Alma Milan; Tom’s PA) is decent. Jason Momoa’s cameo is a surprise.