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Civic Duty (2007) DVD Review
Civic Duty (2007) DVD Credits:
Civic Duty (2007) Directed by:
Jeff Renfroe
Civic Duty (2007) Written by:
Andrew Joiner
Civic Duty (2007) Cast:
Peter Krause, Khaled Abol Naga, Richard Schiff, Kari Matchett, Ian Tracey
Civic Duty (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Civic Duty (2007) DVD Release Date:
1st October 2007
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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Civic Duty (2007) Synopsis:

An American accountant bombarded with cable news and the media's obsession with terrorist plots in the post 9-11 world, receives a jolt when an unattached Islamic graduate student moves in next door.

Civic Duty (2007) DVD Review:

Watching Civic Duty is much like watching a train wreck. This could be considered complimentary considering the film is about the devolution of Peter Krause’s character, but it’s not. It’s a wondering what nonsense they’ll put up on screen next train wreck. Of course eventually the film gets you on its side and part of what draws you in is the tension that the filmmakers create, but then again we all do like to watch a good wreck.

Krause plays an out of work accountant that has a bit of an angry streak. In fact, we’re first introduced to him as he blows up at a bank teller for using one of those corporate scripts that higher ups make cashiers say. Mildly annoying to be sure, but the exchange immediately puts the audience at a distance from the main character. His only redeeming quality is his love for his wife, and the awkward chemistry between Krause and
Kari Matchett isn’t quite enough to get him on your side either. Although this really isn’t any forward motion as far as plot’s concerned, it is important to note because the first half of the movie is mostly a bad portrayal of a relationship and a man out of work.

Our unlikable hero finds himself in a scenario that borrows heavily from Rear Window, where he begins to snoop on his neighbor, “some Middle Eastern guy” as Krause calls him, and begins to see what he wants to see. There’s really no question though that his neighbor isn’t a terrorist, because otherwise the film would be outrageously racist. We’re dragged from one silly situation to the next until the stakes are raised to the point where the obviously troubled Krause holds his neighbor hostage.

Stylistically, the film is a mess. It feels like the only point of the close-ups with a steadycam, heavy color saturation and half blurred screen is to remind the audience of how contemporary the film is. It’s not really troubling, but it does poke its head out at times. One thing I feel like I should mention is an argument that Krause has with his neighbor near the end of the film. Krause gets furious and the camera starts to shake violently and things start rumbling. You feel like Krause could very well be one of the X-men.

I really wish that there were still B-movie theaters around, because Civic Duty would fit perfectly in one. There was a lot of craftsmanship put into the film, and it is watch-able in a way, but there just wasn’t enough put into the writing or directing to make it something interesting. There could be another life out there for Civic Duty, maybe as a Movie of the Week.

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Civic Duty (2007) DVD review written by: John Squire

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