Safe House
2.5/4
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard
Rated R for Strong Violence Throughout and Some Language
There's no doubt that "Safe House" is intense. This is a gritty and extremely violent film, so much so that it almost becomes a turn-off. It's loud, aggressive, and brutal; the R rating is well-deserved. But director Daniel Espinosa, in his American debut, resorts to the old standbys to create suspense: desaturated cinematography and frenetic shaking of the camera. This is not to the film's benefit.
Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a "housekeeper" in South Africa. He guards a CIA safe house until it needs to be used. It sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is. In his words, he just sits there and bounces a ball against a wall all day. That all changes when Tobin Frost (Washington) walks into the US Embassy. Frost used to be CIA, but he turned and went rogue nine years ago. Now, he's come to escape a bunch of ruthless hitmen who are trying to kill him, and in no short order he and Matt are on the run trying to stay alive.
The acting isn't the film's strong suit. Ryan Reynolds is miscast. Reynolds' greatest attributes are his comic timing and likable personality, two things that have no place in a gritty thriller like this, and Espinosa mutes them as much as possible in order to facilitate the gritty tone. More at home in this kind of movie is Washington, but this is the kind of thing he could do in his sleep. Washington does his job, but this is just another paycheck to him (it is a testament to his talent that he is able to command the screen even when coasting through a performance). Brendan Gleeson and Vera Farmiga are on hand as CIA surveillance agents, but this movie is all about Matt and Frost.
You know, it's a real shame that Espinosa resorts to the now-cheap theatrics to raise the intensity. He's got the style for creating intense violence and capable actors, so it would have worked just as well, if not better, had he kept the camera off the cocaine. As it is, it's often hard to understand what is going on, and distances us from the characters. The film seems a lot more confusing than it actually is.
Let me be clear once again: this is a very violent film; absolutely not for the young or faint of heart. It's graphic, bloody and brutal. It even features a scene where Washington is waterboarded that is incredibly difficult to watch (methinks the Bush administration should watch this movie if only to realize that waterboarding is undeniably torture). I can't recommend the film, but it is a welcome diversion from the neutered PG-13 movies.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard
Rated R for Strong Violence Throughout and Some Language
There's no doubt that "Safe House" is intense. This is a gritty and extremely violent film, so much so that it almost becomes a turn-off. It's loud, aggressive, and brutal; the R rating is well-deserved. But director Daniel Espinosa, in his American debut, resorts to the old standbys to create suspense: desaturated cinematography and frenetic shaking of the camera. This is not to the film's benefit.
Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a "housekeeper" in South Africa. He guards a CIA safe house until it needs to be used. It sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is. In his words, he just sits there and bounces a ball against a wall all day. That all changes when Tobin Frost (Washington) walks into the US Embassy. Frost used to be CIA, but he turned and went rogue nine years ago. Now, he's come to escape a bunch of ruthless hitmen who are trying to kill him, and in no short order he and Matt are on the run trying to stay alive.
The acting isn't the film's strong suit. Ryan Reynolds is miscast. Reynolds' greatest attributes are his comic timing and likable personality, two things that have no place in a gritty thriller like this, and Espinosa mutes them as much as possible in order to facilitate the gritty tone. More at home in this kind of movie is Washington, but this is the kind of thing he could do in his sleep. Washington does his job, but this is just another paycheck to him (it is a testament to his talent that he is able to command the screen even when coasting through a performance). Brendan Gleeson and Vera Farmiga are on hand as CIA surveillance agents, but this movie is all about Matt and Frost.
You know, it's a real shame that Espinosa resorts to the now-cheap theatrics to raise the intensity. He's got the style for creating intense violence and capable actors, so it would have worked just as well, if not better, had he kept the camera off the cocaine. As it is, it's often hard to understand what is going on, and distances us from the characters. The film seems a lot more confusing than it actually is.
Let me be clear once again: this is a very violent film; absolutely not for the young or faint of heart. It's graphic, bloody and brutal. It even features a scene where Washington is waterboarded that is incredibly difficult to watch (methinks the Bush administration should watch this movie if only to realize that waterboarding is undeniably torture). I can't recommend the film, but it is a welcome diversion from the neutered PG-13 movies.
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