The movie's cinematography lends to the gritty feel of New York City, and the scenes are artfully infused with a sardonic and very real sense of humor that prevents the movie from turning into an overemotional drama. The ninety minutes of film was the perfect time-span to allow you to be drawn into the characters' lives, and I found myself asking what it is I would do if I were put in their place.

The actors and their believable portrayals of the characters are essentially what makes this movie work. Elijah Wood has an outstanding performance as an underdeveloped neurotic writer, and Chris Kline was convincing as a well-to-do lawyer married to a cancer survivor. However, the most noteworthy performance was that of up-and-coming actor Jon Bernthal who played a street-smart, tough but honorable, cab driver. Bernthal's uninhibited character seemed to be the driving force throughout the movie, and the actor is certainly one to look out for in the future.

Although Day Zero is clearly a politically themed message movie, the writer did a fair job of presenting both sides of the draft issue, and personally, I feel that neither perspective was overstated. Overall, the only problem I had with the movie was its open-ended final scene which seems to be the trend in many recent films. However, unlike plot-driven Hollywood flicks, at least the characters in this movie were developed enough for the viewers to make an educated guess as to the outcome.

~Review by Melissa