Civic Duty

Peter Krause, Kari Matchett in "Civic Duty."

Krause nicely unbalanced in ‘Civic Duty’

Peter Krause, best known as Nate Fisher on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” plays a chillingly unbalanced laid-off accountant in “Civic Duty.”
Krause plays Terry Allen, who faces his own problems after his company downsizes. He’s a boring, dorky kind of guy. When an annoying, overenthusiastic bank clerk reminds him he could use the “ATM machine” in the lobby, he gives her a lecture about how ATM stands for automatic teller machine, so she is telling him he can use the automatic teller machine machine.
Kari Matchett plays his wife, Marla, who goes off to work while he stays home and broods. He becomes mesmerized by a 24-hour news channel and its post 9-11 reports of terrorists and paranoia.
At the same time, Terry gets a new neighbor. He is Gabe Hassan, played by Khaled Abol Naga, a Middle Eastern student obtaining his masters degree, sponsored by an Islamic organization at an American university.
The new neighbor has little furniture. He keeps getting odd-sized packages. He looks suspcious at the trash Dumpster early in the morning.
Terry’s suspicions grow and grow. Wife becomes concerned about her husband’s mental health.
Terry sees President Bush on TV churn the waters, describing how there are thousands of terrorists and many are wealthy and educated.
The Krause character becomes more and more paranoid. He contacts the FBI with his suspicions.
The agent, played by Richard Schiff of “West Wing” fame, is underwhelmed by Krause’s suspicisons.
Terry breaks into the student’s home, looking for evidence. He thinks the man has broken into his home as well. He finds odd-sized bottles and test tubes. Records show the Middle Easterner is getting an awful lot of money to go to school.
And nobody, not his wife, not the FBI, agrees with his suspicions.
He becomes so crazed, he starts taking things into his own hands.
Jeff Renfroe is a novice director but does a nice job building the suspense as the Krause character continues to lose it.
The story premise is different and timely, mixing the aftermath on the attacks on the United States with the downsizing of the U.S. job market.
Matchett is effective as the wife who tries to bring her husband back to reality, knowing she is doomed to failure.
Krause keeps his character in check and methodical until he falls over the edge. It’s effective but I can’t help thinking how a younger Jack Nicholson could have played the role.
It’s a different kind of story line and for the most part it works. I especially enjoyed the climax and epilogue to the story.
The film will remind you some of “Disturbia,” about the boy with the broken foot who spies on his neighbors, and, of course, the Hitchcock classic, “Rear Window.”
So pull you head in from the window, stop spying on your neighbors and give “Civic Duty” a look.

Published in the Star Beacon Nov. 6, 2009.