kai ringler after 9-11 this movie now more than ever really seems to him home, a man in an average neighborhood sees a man of Middle Eastern desent move in to the neighborhood,, after a while our average man, starts to see some things happen that make his mind start to wonder. is the middle eastern man up to something, is he a terrorist. he goes on a journey to find out just what is going on. he eventually get's into the man's house and does some snooping around to see if he can gain information on the man and what he does for a living,, a very thought provoking poignant movie that makes you wander about you're neighbor and what he or she is really up to , or if they say who they are who they really are.. this movie kind of reminds me of Arlington Road.. kind of creepy yet very good to watch, an very terse thriller that will keep you on the edge of you're seat.

Chrysanthepop Peter Krause acts in and produces 'Civic Duty'. Krause has been an actor I have always admired, mostly for the choices he's made in film and television and with 'Civic Duty' he takes a bigger risk in producing a movie that is vulnerable in a hit and miss situation. Basically, it's the kind of movie that either people will like or hate. For me, it's an interesting take on a delusional man suffering from a severe form of paranoia. The film is very engaging right from the beginning even though it starts off a little slow as the tension gradually builds up. I was afraid that it would follow the route of movies like 'Falling Down' or 'The Assassination of Nixon' but thankfully not. The soundtrack is brilliant. Krause is awesome as the delusional Terry Allen. This is further proof of what a versatile actor he is. Krause is excellently supported by a charming Kari Matchett, a sincere Khaled Abol Naga and a no-nonsense Richard Schiff (although this kind of role is hardly anything new for Schiff). The editing is tight but I just wish there was more back story to Terry Allen, something that would indicate why or how he had become so ill. Clearly he wasn't like this before. Nonetheless, 'Civic Duty' (ironic title) is still a well-made and interesting character driven film.

absinthecarolinas The best thing I can say about 'Civic Duty' is that it makes me want to move out to Hollyland and get a job. They obviously need help.The problem with this film isn't just that it's not a good film (though, truly, it isn't very good); its problem is that it should probably never have been made. Here's why: The basic conflict in this kind of movie, by definition, is between paranoia and reality. Krause's character, however, is set up to be obviously paranoid. In any suspense thriller, a filmmaker must work *against* expectations. And in a *really* good suspense thriller, the filmmaker should even work against the expectation that he or she will be working against expectation. And in a truly *exceptional* film of this kind, you can repeat this process and flip reality several times.'Civic Duty' takes no such steps. Terry is suspicious about his neighbor from the first time he sees him, though for no real reason except overexposure to news media. There is very little effort (indeed, perhaps none at all) made to make the viewer suspect that perhaps the neighbor is, in fact, nefarious. We're simply waiting around to see how badly Krause will unravel.But that *still* doesn't address the heart of this movie's problem, which is that in the overwhelmingly liberal entertainment industry, it would be all but impossible to make a movie in which a character is paranoid about a mysterious Middle Eastern neighbor, only to find that said neighbor *is* in fact a "terrorist." It would be somewhat gutsy film-making, in fact, to make such a movie. And since Terry is riddled with paranoia, the filmmakers spoon-feeding us with several minutes of news footage and Bushspeak before the movie even gets underway, the movie simply has nowhere to go.And that's what it does. It goes nowhere.It would have worked better if it had been done the opposite way. Perhaps Terry could have a long-time friend or co-worker who's Middle Eastern. Perhaps a third party, an FBI agent or even his wife, could voice suspicions. Terry would defend his friend right to the end, only to end up going down in flames with him when the truth was finally revealed. That would have at least loaned a touch of dramatic irony. Or perhaps the FBI agent, or lead investigating character, could have himself been Middle Eastern, and the film could have shown that character's inner struggle: not wanting to believe that this hard-working master's candidate had something to hide vs. doing his duty to protect the American public, frustrated by always being required to investigate people of his own ethnic background. Of course, that would require the absence of Richard Schiff, who in my opinion was the movie's only saving grace (man, do I miss 'The West Wing'). Here's an even better scenario. Terry could have come to his senses about his paranoia toward the end of the second act. Amidst his embarrassment, he could have become reluctant friends with Gabe. Then he could discover that, not Gabe himself, but Gabe's associates at the copy shop were part of a terrorist cell and were 'using' Gabe as an unwitting 'mule' (or whatever). This would then provide motivation for Terry to again take action. His reluctance to end up looking foolish again would be outweighed by a sense of duty (nay, 'civic' duty) to Gabe, whom he is now motivated to protect since he put him through such an ordeal to begin with. Of course, Gabe would be reluctant to believe this. And perhaps the audience would again suspect that Gabe himself is knowingly involved. But in the end, it would be Gabe who would give his life to destroy the cell, thereby becoming a hero and doing his 'civic duty.' And there you have it: You could have had a good movie, and still been politically correct. Hell, the 'bad guys' don't even have to end up being Middle Eastern. They could have been pale white corporate crooks, perhaps selling information or materials to "terrorists" who themselves are never seen. The only Middle Easterner in the film would turn out to be the hero. Then you could have your movie and still be *completely* politically correct. But as it stands, 'Civic Duty' goes exactly where you think it's going to go the moment you see the photo on the DVD box and read the description. Because it has nowhere else to go. Which brings me back to my original point: Who the heck greenlights such projects?? How can you set out to make a suspense thriller when the outcome, for largely political reasons, is practically a foregone conclusion. I'm really not trying to advance my own ideology here. I'm just demonstrating how politics has gotten in the way of good entertainment and quality storytelling.

Lechuguilla Peter Krause plays Terry Allen, a laid-off accountant with time on his hands. As he updates his resume he becomes obsessed with the new tenant who has moved into an apartment across the courtyard, a man of Middle Eastern origin, whose behavior seems suspicious to Allen. Of course, Allen is one of these people who never learned that there is nothing more deceptive than superficial appearances.The real basis of Allen's obsession is television "news", which he constantly has on, blaring out scary headlines and hints of "terror". Allen's wife Marla (well played by Kari Matchett) tries to be the voice of reason. But she is no match for the nonstop fear message coming from the boob tube. And the more Allen connects the TV message to the suspicious stranger, the more paranoid and irrational Allen becomes.It's a highly relevant story, one wherein Allen represents many gullible Americans who take at face value everything they hear on TV. In the real world, most people have psychological brakes that prevent them from acting on their fears. Allen does not have those brakes, and he reacts accordingly."Civic Duty" is mostly a visual film; dialogue is fairly minimal. However, some of the lines convey the film's theme. In one confrontation Terry tells Marla: "We all have to be the eyes and ears now (for the FBI)". To which Marla responds: "If you weren't up here all day long spying on our neighbors like some paranoid right-wing whack ..."; Terry retorts: "Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean they're wrong ...".The film's pace in the first half is fine; the plot moves along at a good clip. In the second half, the pace slows, as viewers must endure a tedious police standoff. A chase sequence in the second half is unnecessary filler. The lack of inquisitive neighbors provides the basis for an obvious plot hole, particularly as we approach the film's climax.Cinematography is adequate; the emphasis is on close up shots, even extreme close-ups. Lighting trends toward low level. Overall acting is slightly above average. Richard Schiff, as the low-key, laconic FBI agent, gives an especially good performance. Background music is fairly creepy, and when combined with the dark visuals and minimal dialogue, creates a fair amount of suspense.The real "message" of this film is the dreadful effect that television "news" has on many Americans. In effect, "Civic Duty" is the cinematic expression of media critic Marshall McLuhan's famous line, some forty years ago: "The medium is the message".