Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find out that the world is ending? In most movies and TV shows, we see the characters either die a grisly death, or transform themselves into an everyday action hero. But It's A Disaster is not most movies, and it's all the better for it.
It's A Disaster follows Glen, played by the superb David Cross, as he is invited to a dinner party to meet his new girlfriend's group of friends. Soon after the dinner party starts, the group find out that a dirty bomb has been set off downtown and the radiation is going to kill them if they go outside. The rest of the movie follows each character as they each deal with the crisis in very different ways.
The tone is set right from the start, with a wonderful exchange about listening to the car radio. It has very little to do with anything but it is very funny, and this theme runs throughout. Fans of Seinfeld will be in heaven here, as a number of mundane social conventions are deconstructed hilariously, with each character providing a different angle to keep the comedy fresh. The acting and writing is top notch, with a number of well place dramatic beats punctuating the sharp comedy and a slew of memorable characters, the best of which is Shane; a geeky weirdo who seems to have been thinking about these types of situations way too much.
There are a few missteps; America Ferrera's character is more annoying than funny, there is a reveal about Glen which seemed to come out of nowhere and it starts to lose a little steam towards the end, but these are minor complaints in an otherwise highly enjoyable comedy. This is one dinner party you'll be happy to attend.
A sharply written and wonderfully acted comedy. It's A Disaster is anything but.
