It's a Disaster

Armageddon comes to a nice suburb at an inconvenient time in It's a Disaster, an ensemble comedy about a group of friends meeting up for their regular brunch just when someone launches a widespread attack using nerve gas. Writer-director Todd Berger situates the action in a house owned by Emma (Erinn Hayes) and Pete (Blaise Miller), exploring the effects of the disaster on a handful of people who are increasingly aware that they have mere hours to live. Is this a tearful tragedy? Not at all: Berger milks the scenario for all kinds of comic possibilities, and there is much here, given that old chums keep secrets from one another and often repress resentments for years. Emma and Pete, who were planning on announcing their separation at the gathering, discover that each has been sleeping with the opposite-sex member of another couple, Lexi (Rachel Boston) and Buck (Kevin M. Brennan). Meanwhile, Hedy (America Ferrera) wants to lose herself in booze while boyfriend Shane (Jeff Grace) reveals a survivalist mentality. Stepping into this already complicated mess is Glen (David Cross), the charming if disoriented new boyfriend of Tracy (Julia Stiles), who thinks she has finally struck gold in the romance department—until it's too late. The cast is solid and Berger keeps the ideas coming, with each scene playing like a blackout sketch with a punch line. While this could have grown monotonous, the script is smart enough to keep the viewer hanging on until, uh, The End. Recommended. (T. Keogh)