Todd Solondz revisits his characters from 1998's "Happiness," but he doesn't reveal much that's new about them — or his world view. People are monsters, whether they live in suburban New Jersey or suburban Florida. As writer and director, Solondz looks for the humanity within them — his preferred method is to matter-of-factly depict their alienation without a shred of pathos — but they're still monsters nonetheless. There's repetitious talk about forgiving and forgetting, and debate over which is preferable, but Solondz doesn't seem particularly interested in either. Everyone stays the same, even though Solondz has replaced the cast of "Happiness" with all new actors here; he's even inserted a couple of characters from 1995's "Welcome to the Dollhouse," which is still his best film. Still there's a detached nature to the most shocking words and deeds, which frequently makes "Life During Wartime" feel almost like a parody of a Solondz film. But at the same time, the deadpan delivery of lacerating dialogue remains a reliable source of uncomfortable comedy. Solondz again reveals himself as a master of wringing laughs from the most awkward situations. Allison Janney, Michael Lerner, Shirley Henderson, Ciaran Hinds, Paul Reubens and Ally Sheedy are among the cast. Unrated but contains language, nudity and adult situations. 97 minutes.

GRADE: * *

½ (out of 5)

Nuclear armageddon has taken a back seat to other doomsday scenarios, from global warming to economic chaos. Lest we forget, director Lucy Walker proceeds to scare the stuffing out of viewers with this thoughtful exploration into lingering dangers of nuclear disaster, whether by a rogue nation such as Iran or North Korea, a terrorist attack or some terrible accident. The doom and gloom comes with the voice of authority. Among the dozens interviewed are Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Tony Blair and former U.S. cabinet members Robert McNamara and James Baker III. The film offers some alarming recollections about false alarms that nearly led to catastrophe in the old U.S.-Soviet staring match. Yet these Cold War flashbacks feel like ancient history, even filler, next to Walker's examination of the terrorist and rogue nation threats. The film's impact might have been even stronger and more immediate had it lingered longer and probed deeper into those perils and kept the history lesson to a minimum. PG for thematic material, images of destruction and incidental smoking. 91 minutes. <B>GRADE</B>: * * <B>½</B> (out of 5)