IMDb user comments for
Civic Duty (2006)

advertisement

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 3:

[1] [2] [3]

Index

28 comments in total

---

37 out of 45 people found the following comment useful :-
Patience pays off in the end, 29 April 2006

Author: dianejwright from LA

Saw this at the Tribeca Festival today and loved it. To be honest, it started out pretty slowly but then, out of nowhere, it turns into this sweaty ride. I know it's supposed to be making a political statement and everything but aside from that, it's just good movie-going (once it kicks in anyway).

Peter Krause gives it! And Khaled Abol Naga (the actor playing the maybe or maybe not terrorist) was a really good match for Krause's insaneness.

I'm a big fan of not being able to guess the ending and this movie didn't disappoint. Anyway, if you're in New York, check this one out before the festival's over if you can.

---

27 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :-
Good thriller - great topic, 30 April 2006

Author: bregan-2 from United States

A Tribeca Film Festival favorite- topical thriller with lots of twist. I agree, it was a slow start.... just like a roller coaster!

I guess it is almost 5 years since 9/11 and time brings perspective, perhaps enough to look back on the emotional and political tenor of the period. Though not directly related to 9/11, this film gave me emotional flashbacks

Cast was good, Peter Krause took a lot of chances in this part and was good!

But a star is born with Khaled Abol Naga and his very convincing portrayal of a difficult character. Altho he has apparently made numerous films in his native Egypt, this US debut is stunning work. Despite myself, I felt sympathetic for the maybe-maybe-not terrorist. I bet we will see a lot more of Khalid.

---

29 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
Roller Coaster Ride!, 2 May 2006

Author: aml04057 from United States

This movie was one hell of a roller-coaster ride! I caught the final Tribeca Film Festival screening on the Upper West Side. People were waiting outside on the waiting list line for hours, offering three times the amount for tickets. It was crazy. I planned ahead and although tempted to make a quick buck and sell my tix I went in (my wife loves Peter Krause).

The movie is a slow gradual buildup and like an old fashioned roller-coaster, you feel an undercurrent of tension building as the plot builds and builds as you ascend into world of Terry Allen (Krause) and than... JUST LIKE THAT.. you are dropped for the ride of a lifetime with twists and turns, loops that all comes to an immediate stop.

Peter Krause delivers the performance of a lifetime. If you thought he could sell coffins, you'll become addicted to his knockout performance compounded by the paranoia we all felt after 9/11. You actually feel like you are in his head throughout the entire movie. This boy has acting chops.

Richard Schiff was flawless in his portrayal of the FBI agent who is over-extended with phone call after phone call of "the terrorist next door" situations which is a drain on his once "dignified" job.

Khaled Abol Naga was a tremendous surprise. In the Q&A following the movie, I was surprised to learn English was his second language. His look, delivery of his dialouge and looks he gives Peter Krause's character throughout the movie earn our sympathy and never lets you off your guard as to "is he or isn't he" the terrorist next door.

An excellent movie with the perfect cast that had the potential to collapse in the last scene. But it didn't' let down (a masterful manipulation that I will not spoil for you).

The roller-coaster came to a stop and like a little boy I wanted to run outside get on line again and go for another spin.

But, it was the last screening...

A great film!

---

21 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Great controversial thriller, 30 June 2007

Author: ayora_19

After having read some of the negative reviews on the IMDb message board, I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this movie. One of the great things about this was that it didn't immediately jump into the media's coverage of the terrorist plots in the post 9-11 world, but rather gives the viewer an insight into the mindset of the lead character (Peter Krause). This makes his obsessional behavior and the build-up of the paranoia he has against his neighbor very believable, because you start to understand that his dissatisfaction is caused by more just the 9-11 bombing. The actors were extremely convincing in their portrayal of these difficult characters. And although you might only sympathize with Khaled Abol Naga's character, you get a feeling of understanding for Peter Krause's character as well. All in all, an excellent and suspenseful thriller with surprising twists and great content.

---

20 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
Wow-whens it coming out?!, 29 June 2006

Author: avidmovigoer from United States

Wow- I saw this at Tribeca and I thought it was awesome. I am NOT a Peter Krause fan going in but I am NOW. He was amazing. If your looking for a super taut thriller and edge of your seat viewing this film is for you. I won't ruin any of it but suffice it to say that all is not as it seems. I'm now looking for everything and anything by this talented director! And the music! Wow-I did a search on Amazon and came up nothing. Eli Krantzenberg's score is simply astonishing. What a main theme. I wished I can hear it again. If anyone knows when this is available on DVD I'd sure like to know. Richard Shiff has to really steal the day though for performances. He is rock solid and totally believable. That had to be a tough role because it could go in so many directions. And Khaled Abol Naga is great. He plays his character just right so that you never really know what he's thinking or what he's up to. These films are hard to do right since it is a delicate balance with character paranoia. And what I loved MOST and this is sadly lacking from films today is a film where something is left to the audience. Instead of being spoon fed every plot this one leaves some of it in our hands. Definitely NOT 'chewing gum for the mind'. A nice departure from your usual Hollywood formula!

---

7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Frustration, Bigotry, Alienation and Paranoia, 4 May 2008

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

After being laid off in a downsizing of his company, the bitter and bigoted American accountant Terry Allen (Peter Krause) faces financial problems with the mortgage of his house. He uses his available time to snoop his downstairs neighbor Gabe Hassan (Khaled Abol Naga), a Middle Eastern student that is having his Master degree sponsored by an Islamic organization in an American university, and calls the FBI to tell his suspicion. However, FBI Agent Tom Hilary (Richard Schiff) asks him to forget Hassan. When Terry tells his wife Marla Allen (Kari Matchett) that he had contacted FBI, she becomes upset and leaves Terry. However, his obsessive bigotry and alienation trigger paranoia against his neighbor and a tragic conclusion.

"Civic Duty" repeats the storyline of "Rear Window", i.e., a neighbor snooping another one, to expose in low pace the prejudice and alienation against immigrants in USA after the infamous September, 11th. Peter Krause gives a top-notch performance in the role of an average American citizen of middle-class, frustrated by the unemployment, bombed by the media with shallow information against Islamic people and his alienation and bigotry becoming paranoia that the poor Islamic student is associated to a terrorist group. The plot is totally believable and the tragic conclusion is very realistic. Unfortunately, the DVD released by FOX gives wrong information in the cover, since it has NO SUBTITLES and NO CLOSED CAPTION. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

---

12 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
very good movie, 3 June 2007

Author: ssto from New York, USA

i am no expert, i just like watching movies and i liked this one. it has a good story and good actors to sustain it. there isn't much development in the characters, but then this is not this kind of a story - its just like a window has opened to us, the viewers, into the world of a family, that has its dreams and problems, but now and then we get fragments of the bigger picture and then suddenly it all goes wrong and crazy...

as a kind of bottom line - when men forget about the love and start playing their 'games', its always the innocent who pay the price for it

its a good movie - don't be afraid to watch it, you'll enjoy it

peace

---

7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
TV News Junkie, 21 October 2007
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

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".

---

4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
interesting but slow-moving and depressing throughout, 31 October 2007
Author: I M Buggy from USA

The topic is very interesting, and somewhat important in the face of the post-9/11 terrorist attack, resulting in a backlash of suspicion by many US citizens toward people of middle-eastern descent or culture.

This paranoid-episode focuses on a down and out man, and the suspicions he experiences when a new neighbor of apparent middle-eastern background moves into a nearby apartment. Various pre-existing marital tensions in his marriage contribute to fuel his determination.

All of the acting is well-done. Most everything is well-done. But it's just plain depressing and down-mood, from beginning to end, so don't plan on watching it for weekend escape-entertainment.

If you were hoping for action, there's almost none of it here. Even on suspense, there's very little. It's more of a drama with a slight edge at a few points in the latter third of the movie. The last minute or two of the movie's ending left me unclear on what had happened and what was implied. I felt that it could be interpreted at least two different ways.

Overall, it's a worthwhile movie with food for thought. But I wouldn't think of it as invigorating or thought-provoking-- it was more frustrating, from my point of view.

---

8 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
war on terror gets personal with mild mannered accountant, 30 April 2006

Author: paulk36437 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Just saw this at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is very good. There was a problem with the ending. The film ends emotionally when the man shoots his wife but there is another scene. In that scene you are lead to doubt that the middle eastern type is really innocent. The director, or whoever, it was at the screening, said that you are supposed to see that as a product of the psychosis of the main character. All this is hard to follow without going into more detail if you haven't seen the movie. But I don't want to go into more detail and spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie. Anyway, there is no point to that last scene-if to show that the guy is crazy-that is already known-if to show that middle eastern type really is guilty, that plot twist is too clever and without justification. The only one I can think of is that without that scene, the movie could be seen as too left wing-paranoid accountant unjustly accuses middle eastern guy-and would not be accepted for distribution ? They should have left that ending out and gone back to the relationship with the wife and given her more dialog at the end before he kills her. The interesting thing is her love for him even though he is apparently chronically intermittently paranoid.

---

---

Page 1 of 3:

[1] [2] [3]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Ratings	Awards
Newsgroup reviews	External reviews	Plot keywords
Main details	Your user comments	Your vote history