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RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR |
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By : Suzanne Philips |
Movie Reviews List | |
| RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR Written and Directed by Chris Gorak Starring: Rory Cochrane (A SCANNER DARKLY, TNT's "The Company"), Mary McCormack (1408) Rated: R Running Time: 1 hour and 36 minutes Opens August 24, 2007 A typical Los Angeles morning - Lexi (Mary McCormack) is preparing to go to her job in a downtown office as her musician husband Brad (Rory Cochrane) is figuring out errands for the day. Brad tells Lexi that there is an accident on the 101 freeway and to take surface streets. Lexi leaves for work and Brad begins his day. Later that morning, a series of "dirty bombs" is set off in Downtown, Beverly Hills and at LAX, effectively shutting down the city. Brad tries to get to his wife as police force everyone to go back to their homes and seal them up - hoping to prevent the rapidly falling toxic ash from contaminating any more people. Residents are advised to refrain from contact with anyone who has been in the blast zones until more info can be found on the toxins. When Lexi is finally able to return home, does Brad let her in or follow orders and keep her out? This is the frightening premise behind RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR. Writer/Director Chris Gorak called this film "a response to the war in Iraq", but it is so much more. Anyone who lives in L.A. cannot help but be moved by the realism set forth here. Misinformation and martial law are the new "norm" and, much like in Hurricane Katrina, the government promises help, but ends up persecuting the citizens to which they are obligated. There is so much good about this film, it's hard to know where to start. The script does a wonderful job of letting the emotion play in a very realistic fashion while still upping the stakes until the final jaw-dropping twist at the end. Rory Cochrane and Mary McCormak are so amazing and deliver outstanding performances, you have to feel their sense of helplessness and loss and many in the audience found themselves crying right along with the characters. The film has a sense of true catastrophe. Much like with any disaster, people don't know how to react and often are forced into situations where they do things they would never consider in normal times. This is repeated over and over in RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR. I think this film also touches on what many of us felt during the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the tsunamis - a great sense of not knowing what we should do. How can we help? What is the government doing to help those affected? It is all brought back in stunning clarity here. RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR is a very emotionally draining film that is truly thought provoking. If you are looking for over the top sets and big budgets, you won't find it here. But this film is very important and is truly worth taking the time to see and ponder. 4 1/2 out of 5 |
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