A thorough exploration of the nightmarish Hellscape that is “Couples Brunch” is not quite on the docket here; the festivities are interrupted by the news that several dirty bombs have exploded a short distance away and the chemical fallout will probably destroy everything, including the vegetarian quiche.
This is a comedy, and an uneasy one as you might guess. The film beings with the build of the 1812 Overture. And right when the climax is about to envelop, Glenn (David Cross) turns off the radio to the chagrin of audience and his new girlfriend, Tracy (Julia Stiles), alike. This movie is about the ways couples communicate and the distance represented between the two in this moment probably says it all: Glenn is anxious to be at a brunch where he will meet all Tracy’s friends; Tracy got lost in the music until Glenn spoiled the moment. It’s not so much laugh-out-loud as it is cringe, offer a pained smile, and pray that the movie goes somewhere else. Don’t worry. It will.
Awaiting them are two mismatched couples: the hosts Pete (Blaise Miller) and Emma (Erinn Hayes) are getting a divorce, while Hedy (America Ferrera) and Shane (Jeff Grace) haven’t security enough to finalize their six+ year engagement. Meanwhile, Lexi (Rachel Boston) and Buck (Kevin M. Brennan) are swingers. Marriage to them means share-and-share alike in all things. The first act is a build to a false peak of the Pete/Emma split. For Emma, the weekly brunch gathering is a small celebration among friends; for Pete, it’s an inconvenience and “Who’s got the remote control, anyway?” It’s a miracle they lasted this long.
Well, it’s all fun and games until the director shows up. Right after the D-bomb drops indoors, writer/director Todd Berger arrives in a hazmat suit to announce the problem outdoors: several non-psychological bombs have detonated in the city and taken out the electrical grid. Fellas, I’m sorry, but you may never discover the score of the Longhorns game.
Luckily for us, the film spends precious little time on the “is this real?” portion of the afternoon. While that may be 100% human nature, it makes for lousy screenplay; we don’t want to know whether or not they believe there’s poison VX nerve gas in the air coming their way; we want them to accept the fact and then make end-of-life decisions.
It’s a Disaster is a “What Would You Do?” movie, relying on the audience to pick a cast member as their individual muse and travel down that brief eternity. Do you embrace one last chance at sex, drugs, (rock ‘n’ roll), or something else? Would knowing you have mere hours remaining in your fleshy existence make you open or closed? Would you go out with a whimper or a bang? It’s a Disaster is a middling comedy, a middling drama, and a middling thought piece. For the subject matter, the film isn’t terribly deep or heavy, but it isn’t all that funny, either. If you’re gonna go this route, you may as well Seek a Friend for the End of the World.
When the group is full of thirty-somethings
Brunch delights among some flirty-somethings
But the day was owned by shirty-somethings
With their bombs all full of dirty-somethings
Rated R, 88 Minutes
Director: Todd Berger
Writer: Todd Berger
Genre: WWHJD? (What Would Hipster Jesus Do?)
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Hipster Jesus
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Survivalists
