Life During Wartime

I was surprised by the number of times I caught myself smiling or laughing quietly during The Alarmist (AKA Life During Wartime), a film where the parts are definitely greater than the whole. Be prepared to all but ignore the plot, which is unnecessary except as a place to loosely hang some wonderful performances by everyone involved.

It's rather sad to see that so many people seem turned off by this comedy. Just like Romeo is Bleeding, too many people seem to just give up when they're finally shown something that truly creates an original tone for itself. This movie walks a tight-wire between the absurd and offbeat while still seemingly plausible and realistic. The plot twists with wonderfully subversive glee. I could not help but fall hopelessly in love with this charming movie. Don't listen to all the negative comments. Rent it and judge for yourself. You just might be wonderfully surprised.

The first time I saw this movie, I joined in right before the mood got dark--during the overnight stay with the parents, and this movie knocked my socks off. Very quirky and interesting, but not "Tarentino-like" at all, as someone else has said. So tonight I rented the movie and watched it start to finish. Ugh! I feel like the first time I saw it, I only saw the very best of the movie! It's got one dark, nice twist, but otherwise, this is a mediocre movie at best. Stay away unless you're very bored!

"The Alarmist" has a pointless first half, with David Arquette's stiff acting getting in the way of any possible comedy, but gets better in the second half, when it enters darker territory and presents some unexpected plot developments. And yes, Kate Capshaw does look good for her age. (**1/2)

Although the ending is likely to disappoint, this weakness should not dissuade one from watching THE ALARMIST. All the characters are appealing, the script witty, and the pacing tight. The interactions between Howard and Tommy and the family dinner scene are especially good. Stanley Tucci attacks his part with both barrels.

A word about Kate Capshaw: Wow! A forty-something grand multipara in real life, Kate is as attractive as a woman can be. While much credit is due the cinematographer for knowing how to shoot her in soft, warm light, her native charms give him a lot to work with. She endows her character with the sweetness of youth and the cynicism of maturity. I see from her filmography that she has been working pretty steadily since INDIANA JONES days, but I must have missed most of her films. Maybe the financial security Mrs Spielberg enjoys allows her to limit her work to small, low-key pictures with little marketing, but I sure would like to see her hit the big-time.