Review: Safety Not Guaranteed
Bring your own weapons.
When an ad in the paper seeking a partner for time travel comes to his attention. Magazine reporter Jeff, (Jake M. Johnson) and his two interns Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni) seek out of man that posted the ad, Kenneth. (Mark Duplass) It's Darius who befriends Kenneth, and becomes his new partner in crime, but what's really behind all of this? Is he really building a time machine?
Aubrey Plaza's deadpan delivery is perfect for this film. She really owns her role and is fun to watch. The rest of the cast is great as well. The budding relationship between Darius and Kenneth is what drives the film, with Arnau and Jeff filling in the gaps with Jeff trying to score with an old girlfriend, and Arnau eventually just letting lose. One of the things I really liked was that they shot in Washington. I love it there. Sure it might be rainy and grey, but there's something beautiful about it. It's just a place I thoroughly enjoy, and it's nice to see it in a film.
Safety Not Guaranteed goes by fairly quickly, but it stays humorous and touching through out. There's plenty of surprises throughout.
Recommended: Yes
Grade: B
Memorable Quote: "You know those really tight leggings girls wear? Do you wear those?" - Arnau (Karan Soni)
I've been curious about this movie, and based on your review, it sounds well worth watching. Did you survive your Red, White & Blue experience? :)
ReplyDeleteNow that the summer blockbuster season is basically over, this along with Moonrise Kingdom are the films that I really need to see.
ReplyDeleteI'd be curious if I read the newspaper ad in real life.
Awesome! Its actuallу гemarκable
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@Stephanie Oh yes I did. That was a hard movie to watch. I can honestly say I haven't been scared watching a horror movie for a long time until I saw that. I have it as my next Indie Gem to post.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your review! My daughter reviewed it here: http://eclecticbooksandmovies.blogspot.com/2012/06/red-white-blue.html
ReplyDeleteloving the new films i'm finding about through your blog. never heard of them, but they all sound fascinating.
ReplyDeleteFrom its shoestring budget to its familiar tropes, this could have been independent filmmaking at its most generic. But with its off-the-wall premise, snarky wit and heartfelt performances, it's quite the opposite: an inspired original.
ReplyDelete