Safety Not Guaranteed

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jenica Bergere
Directed by: Colin Trevorrow
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three magazine reporters (Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni) investigate the story of a man (Mark Duplass) claiming to be looking for a partner to go back in time with.

Review:

Tim: For better or worse, I do spend most of time watching the bigger movies released every year. Those are the ones most people know about, so it's easier to talk with them about it. Those are also the ones advertised furthest in advance, so it's fun to "finally" see a movie you've been looking forward to for a year or more. However, I do make a concentrated effort to get away from the blockbusters from time to time. What people are doing in smaller, independent films, is pretty astounding. I know I need to see more of these films, but hey- I'm trying. Safety Not Guaranteed is a great example of what these smaller, overlooked films can offer. This might not be a great movie, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable one. It tells a story that you just wouldn't see in a big budget film. The focus on character development was impressive, and this is a movie I've recommended to others, and will continue to do so.

This movie was based on a humorous classified ad that a magazine writer crafted to fill an empty space. It took on a life of it's own, and was eventually turned into this screenplay. When you think about watching a movie based on a classified ad (that was fake), it doesn't exactly get your hopes up. But, writer Derek Connolly handles this brilliantly. The well-crafted classified ad is the impetus for the story, but the movie itself is so much more than that. In reality, even the question of whether the writer is crazy or can actually travel back in time is secondary. Connolly takes that high-concept idea, and creates these fascinating characters around it. We're allowed time to get to know them, and that is the biggest strength of the film- we really like the characters on screen, so we become invested in the mystery of the story.

The script is strong, and it creates these wonderful characters, but it's the cast that really brings them to life. I've seen Audrey Plaza before, but this is the first time I have been truly impressed with her performance. I do think her acting is a bit one-note, but she pours herself into this role, and no one can do the awkward, standoffish, yet seeking approval persona better than her. She makes sure to infuse her performance with multiple emotions, and she just delivers this real, memorable performance. I was thoroughly impressed with her in this film, and she's one of the main reasons why I liked it.

Mark Duplass is fine, although I'm still not sold on him. There's something about him that just turns me off. While he was good for the most part, I can't say I loved him in this role. I felt like he needed to be a bit more restrained. I actually really like Jake Johnson, and I expect big things from him. He gives a charismatic, funny performance here, and his presence was absolutely required. He's still growing, and has time to develop his acting ability, but he works very well in this film. I wasn't impressed with Karan Soni, and I think a dozen other actors could have given a better performance than him. I will say that I was impressed with Jenica Bergere, and I hope to see her in more films.

While this isn't destined to become a classic film, I had a lot of fun watching it. Very quickly, we identify with the characters, and we're swept up in this mystery with them. The central premise is the mystery of whether this guy is a nutjob, or if he can actually travel back in time. We're given evidence that supports either theory, so it's fun to jump back and forth with our opinion as the movie goes on. However, this is a lot more than a time travel movie- it's really a film about looking at your past, and wishing desperately that you could go back and change things. We all have things in our histories that we'd love to alter. This is a movie about that longing, about being haunted by your past, and since we can't travel in time, about moving forward as best you can. It's about looking back at who we were with nostalgia, about trying to recapture the best part of ourselves, and dealing with the harsh reality of change. It's a story about people connecting in unexpected ways, and becoming better for it.

I very much enjoyed Safety Not Guaranteed. It has great characters, strong writing, and a fascinating mystery that keeps you engaged. The film would have benefited from a bigger budget, and I'm still not convinced that I loved the ending. Director Colin Trevorrow does a good job, but it's not hard to see this is his feature film directorial debut. Despite all that, this is a unique, different little story, and I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
The Time Traveler's Wife