At War

[Has] shades of Norma Rae and the Dardenne brothers' Two Days, One Night, except this is an even more piercing film. This film is angry.

The performances and camerawork are natural and unrehearsed, to the point where one wishes this had something more to show for itself than expert mimicry and an inharmonious act of violence to send audiences packing.

Brizé's bid for political urgency may not be as complete a work in terms of character richness and scope, but it's a worthy companion piece in the effort to make films in a turbulent time that speak the truth about the plagued dignity of everyday people.

An exhausting film to watch in the best sense, venting our anger at the dehumanizing forces in society until we are left drained, contemplating our impending challenges with newfound clarity.

Ultimately, At War isn't able to offer much more than gradual escalation of intensity. Even before the war is over, it's hard not to withdraw.

The film is content to bluntly affirm that corporate attempts at compassion are always secondary to providing profit to shareholders.

Brizé and Olivier Gorce's script ends up in a rut of martyrdom, stomping its authenticity with an ending of little to no emotional precedent.

At War is a well written account of the weight of fighting against injustices of the upper class. [Full Review in Spanish]

While the inherent rage of At War is necessary, so to is some fundamental understanding of the character's deeper motivations. By stripping this story of any nuance, Brizé dips his toes into the iconography of propaganda.

The result is an occasionally fascinating thought experiment about a vital topic brought low by poor storytelling and a dogged adherence to a flawed set-up.