estebangonzalez10

(2013-05-16 17:02:33)

The small indie version of Back to the Future

¨But at the end of the day do I need someone when I'm doubting myselfand I'm insecure and my heart's failing me? Do I need someone who, whenthe heat gets hot, has my back?¨Safety Not Guaranteed may be a small independent film, but it has ahuge heart. They may not have had a great budget to work with, but themovie felt more authentic than most big budget Hollywood movies. SafetyNot Guaranteed has great comedic touches, some drama, sci-fi, and evenromance. It is a complete film that connects with the audience from thevery opening scene. This is director Colin Trevorrow's first featurefilm and he made a brilliant movie. He had a great screenplay to workwith, also from a first time screenwriter, Derek Connolly, who happenedto write the story specifically with Aubrey Plaza (from Parks andRecreation) in mind to play the lead character. She was amazing in thisfilm as was her co-lead, Mark Duplass (Humpday). The chemistry betweenthe two lead actors was really authentic, but the film also had a greatstory arch for the secondary characters as well. The film was reallywell written and the dialogue top notch. It's hard to come across amovie that connects with the audience so well in so many differentlevels. I felt this was the indie version of Back to the Future, notbecause the film actually takes us to the past or shows us how to getthere, but because it explores the issue of why someone would want togo back. I think that is much more important in a time traveling moviethan the actual adventure. The characters here had a lot of depth andthere were so many things happening in such a short period of time thatI really don't know how Treverrow accomplished all of this. This is aunique film that is hard to come across, an indie that actually feelslike an indie, but that isn't afraid to explore new subject matters.Darius (Aubrey Plaza), who has a rather anti social behavior, lives inSeattle and is working as an intern for a magazine company. When herboss, Bridget (Mary Lynn Rajskub), asks the crew to come up with ideasfor the next article, staff writer Jeff (Jake Johnson) mentions anunusual article that has been published in a classified ad in a smallcoastal town. The ad states the following ¨Wanted: Someone to go backin time with me. This is not a joke. You will get paid when we getback. Safety not guaranteed.¨ Bridget gives the project the green lightand sends Jeff to that town to investigate along with two interns:Darius and Arnau (Karan Soni). When the trio arrives at the town theybegin investigating the man responsible for the ad: Kenneth (MarkDuplass). He acts all mysterious and is convinced that he is beingfollowed. When Jeff tries to approach him and volunteer himself as thetime travel companion Kenneth refuses and sends him away. Dariushowever manages to make a connection with Kenneth and wins his trust.The interns also discover that the real reason for Jeff wanting towrite an article on Kenneth is because he wanted an excuse to reunitewith his High School fling, Liz (Jenica Bergere), who lives in the sametown. That relationship becomes the side story to the main idea thatrevolves on the relationship that Kenneth and Darius begin to form asthey prepare for their time travel. The real question is whetherKenneth really is building a time machine or if he's just a messed upand crazy person.The connection that Darius and Kenneth make is the true heart of thestory. The question isn't whether Kenneth can actually time travel orif he can really go back in time, but rather why he wants to go backand if he's crazy or not. He does act in a rather peculiar way, buthe's also a very nice person who cares for others. That is whatultimately attracts Darius to him, his humane heart, although she isn'tquite sure if this guy is totally nuts or a genius. The film deals withthese issues in a very authentic and powerful way. I really connectedwith this small indie film and enjoyed every minute of it. It had melaughing really hard at times, despite it not being a laugh out loudcomedy. It has a lot of heart and even mixes some sci-fi elements aswell to please everyone. The performances were really special, but thescreenplay helped a lot as well. There were several moments anddialogues that rang really true throughout the film. I really lovedthis film and recommend it if you have a chance to see it.http://estebueno10.blogspot.com

ashleyarielle

(2013-05-16 11:15:20)

That which stole my heart at Sundance...

This film is a delightful farce with a huge heart. Spurred on by amysterious Craigslist ad one lackadaisical reporter (Jake M. Johnson)and two (less than) eager interns (Aubrey Plaza and Karan Soni) set outto find the man promising time travel to a suitable partner. One of theinterns, Darius, is a girl with a dark past and her own reasons forwanting to travel back in time. As it becomes clear that only she canreach out to Kenneth (Mark Duplass), the reclusive inventor of theelusive time machine, she moves deeper into a world that she cannotfathom and may lead only to heartache. For Kenneth's mystery ismagnetic and she finds herself falling for him despite herself andregardless of whether or not he actually has a time machine. Asgovernment agents close in and her boss applies pressure to get thestory, Darius has to make a choice. Either opt for the incredible ordismiss Kenneth as the nut job most people believe him to be. The filmhinges on her choice and it's unclear until the last frame of the filmas to whether or not it pays off. The weak link of the film is probablythe story of the reporter, Jeff and the other intern, Arnau, whosedrunken exploits do little to add to the whole of the film. The film isa story that teeters between hope and devastation. Toeing the linebetween insanity and faith, the film weaves together three (at timesstumbling story lines) as the characters discover what it is they trulyneed to survive in a world gone mad. In an age of Facebook, Twitter andendless, unrelenting loneliness the film explores the push and pull ofthe need for community and the trust it takes to reach out to somethinglarger than one's self. Ultimately, Safety Not Guaranteed is a story ofbelief, hope, relationship and the importance of the trust we place inothers. Its few flat notes are more than made for by its plucky heartand wry humor, which leaves the audience smirking until the very end.

James Farmer

(2013-05-15 04:45:14)

Like a teen movie from the eighties

This film sounds brilliant, and TBO starts of very well. A bit ofcomedy but some potential bite in there to come. Sadly the bite nevermaterialises and we about half way through the film we get soppysilliness, virtually it turns into a romcom - made poorly, with a bitof potential time travel as a side story. The film meanders it's wayalong, going nowhere in particular and leaves the viewer unsure of whatthey are actually watching. I say a Romcom and a bit of verylighthearted fun at best. I am very surprised it has a (currently April2013) 7.4 rating on IMDb, I can only imagine that in time this filmwill find it's true level of around 4.5 - 5.0 / 10

willwritereviews_formoney

(2013-05-14 22:42:13)

People are going to be satisfied by how many big laughs are in this movie, as opposed to its weaker dramatic arc

Darius (Aubrey Plaza) is an unsatisfied college graduate, working as anintern for a magazine. At a roundtable session, she and the otherjournalists are asked for ideas they can use for the magazine. Jeff(Jake Johnson, from the TV show New Girl) is a professional writer atthe magazine and reveals an ad he found, written by a man named Kenneth(Mark Duplass), who is asking for someone to travel back in time withhim, claiming that he has done it before. Jeff chooses Darius and ashy, geeky student named Arnau (Karan Soni) to travel with him to theseaside community of Ocean View to investigate the story. Yet Jeff hashis own personal motives: he is looking to track down Liz (JenicaBergere), a woman that he is still infatuated with. Meanwhile, Dariusfinds that Kenneth he is a reclusive worker in a grocery store and thathe is also extremely paranoid about people who might be following him.She tells him she is applying for the ad, but not that she is workingfor the magazine. Once Darius wins his trust, Kenneth takes her throughhis training procedures for his time travelling mission, which includesusing firearms and practicing martial arts on the beach. Darius mustdecipher whether Kenneth really can time travel or if he is just crazy,while delicately unravelling both of their own reasons for wanting toexplore the past. What would you do you if you could time travel? Most people would saythat they'd like to reverse something they wished they hadn't done, orto fix or replace something that was lost or broken. When people talkabout going back into the past they think about their own lives andmistakes, rather than thinking about larger historical events. Theyrarely consider whether one has the authority to rewrite events thatwill affect the time spectrum of other people's lives. Time travel infiction is therefore intrinsic with personal regret and our obsessionwith shaping and perfecting the future outcomes of our lives andexperiences. Safety Not Guaranteed, a comedy by first time writer-director Colin Trevorrow, is a successfully droll look at thesepersonal motives for time travel, rather than the physical orscientific act of travelling to a bygone era. The film is inspired by afake classified ad from the American rural publication Backwards HomeMagazine, which was jokingly written asking for a companion for timetravel. It is loaded with big laughs, aimed squarely at how we perceiveboth truth and myth, and more seriously the obsessive tendency to dwellon the fleeting ghosts of the past. What's most important is that the movie is funny. The script is loadedwith dark, occasionally mean-spirited zingers that Jake Johnson andAudrey Plaza hilariously fire off at each other. I laughed consistentlythrough the film when it sustained this very dry, blunt wit and self-deprecating humour. Yet Trevorrow also uses this comic edge as a guardbetween the characters and the audience, keeping them at bay until theyare ready to reveal themselves as more tender and nostalgic than weinitially realised. Both Darius and Kenneth's desire to time travelstems from love and regret, which means that their connection is highlypredictable. But Darius's admission about wanting to save her mother isone of the few glimpses where we emotionally respond to her as acharacter. In keeping with the notion of perception though, the tensionin Darius and Kenneth's relationship is sustained by questions ofwhether he is simply crazy, and whether he will find out that Darius isworking for a magazine to discover information about him. Jeff also hasto change his perception of truth, particularly when the Liz he onceknew is gone and must accept who she is now, rather than lulling on thepast. This subplot is well-established and her character has somedepth, but it ends on a sour note and feels unresolved because itoverlooks the chance for more character development. Also, despite the amount of tension surrounding Kenneth's paranoia,there's an unintended level of irony regarding the predictableframework of the film's screenplay: it's so reminiscent of other filmsI've seen that some of the broader points in the narrative areforeseeable. The truth or fantasy concept, to me, owes a lot to K-Pax(2001), where Kevin Spacey played a man who was convinced he was fromanother planet. Or the Australian superhero movie, Griff The Invisible(2010), where an ordinary guy thought he was a crime fighter, as acounter to being bullied at work. I thought Safety was just an extrastep above that movie because of how well it aligned my perspectivewith Darius for a great length about what was real and imaginary. Butjust as the film is about to reach a darker psychological layer, thetone swirls out of control, and the film ends on a frustratinglyconvenient note, where magic realism jars awkwardly with the smallslice of life mood. For me, that was a large detraction from the restof the film. However, the film is still extremely funny and I thinkthat a lot of people are going to be satisfied by how many big laughsare in this movie, as opposed to its weaker dramatic arc.

daved_richardson

(2013-05-14 04:49:41)

A pleasant break from over produce Hollywood

This film being low budget offered a lovely free flowing nice pacedfilm.It was a welcome break from the typical over produced and specialeffects Hollywood films of recent.It shows likable characters and because of the closeness and edginessof the film you feel a little emotional turmoil for the characterswhich is always a winner.Unfortunately because its low budget most people will miss thisexcellent film..It seems to have went back to the basics that Hollywood has forgottenand succeeded in good screenplay, and some good attempts at comedy.. Definitely worth the watch... Don't expect a 100mph car chasing,shooting Hollywood thriller, Respect the film for what it is. Atremendous low budget film that satisfies the viewer at a nice pace andnicely revealing more to the characters bit by bit.. Ps Aubrey Plaza performance deserves a special mention... Very good,strong and endearing performance

JRlock

(2013-05-13 21:20:49)

You'd better like the actors

I know I won't make friends with this review, but the ones I have willthank me. You'd better like the actors in this movie if you hope toenjoy it. I think Derek Connolly's script had much potential for a goodstory; the many reviews I read clearly indicate to me it did, becauseso many reviewers were touched by it, liked the characters and foundmeaning I failed to get. Reading back many of those reviews afterwatching the movie I get why they are so attached to it; I justcouldn't.I'm sure I'd enjoy the story if it was in the form of a book, though;this way I would not have been influenced by the acting performancesthat left me apathetic, the cinematography which did not impress me inthe least, or the direction that failed to spark some life I felt itlacked. I'm not usually so negative; my hundreds of reviews aretestament to that. The reason I figured I felt this way when so manydon't, is simple. I did not care for the actors to begin with. Yep, ifone feels that way, then it takes one hell of a great story, withcinematography that makes you wish the screen was double the size anddirection capable of accentuating the better features so that thelesser ones escape your thoughts, none of which applied here. AubreyPlaza's looks remind me too much of Emma Stone, who I like, so I missedthe sexy voice right from the start. I never cared for Jake Johnsonthat much; there's something annoying to me about his smug smile. Ibetter stop while I'm behind.

Joe Stemme

(2013-05-04 17:15:39)

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED - SF lite, Quirky heavy

Another entry in the recent lite Sci-Fi sweepstakes: Films such asANOTHER WORLD, MELANCHOLIA, SOUND OF MY VOICE which use a slight SFtinge in what would otherwise be 'straight' non-genre movies. The filmthat SF fans will probably most closely associate it with is HAPPYACCIDENTS. Both are Rom-Coms with a woman entering into a relationshipwith an oddball man who claims to be a time-traveler.SAFETY is based on a real (if planted) classified ad that ran inBackwoods Home Magazine several years ago: "Wanted: Somebody to go backin time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back.Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safetynot guaranteed." The ad has been adapted by screenwriter Derek Connollyinto a story about Darius (Aubrey Plaza), a magazine intern, who tracksdown the Ad's author Kenneth (Mark Duplass, who also Co-produced withhis brother Jay). Of course, a deeper relationship ensues.SAFETY's problem isn't so much its Sundance quirkiness quotient as muchas its structure. If the film had stayed with the central relationshipwith Darius and Kenneth (as in 'What's the Frequency, Kenneth'?) it mayhave worked. The actors work well together and Plaza is particularlyengaging. Unfortunately, the film has Darius working with a lead reporter (JakeJohnson) and another intern (Karan Soni). The intern is a nerdyhorned-rim glasses wearing Indian science student who's only functionseems to be as a convenient "comedic" foil for the reporter. Every timethe main relationship seems to be building momentum, Director ColinTreverrow cuts away to a subplot involving the Reporter and an oldflame. It's not so much that the subplot is poorly played, nor somewhatstory driven (Darius has to report to somebody 'neutral', I suppose),but, it seriously undercuts what should be the main thrust of the story- Darius & Kenneth. So, by the time we get to the climax, it feelsrushed and unsatisfying.The throwaway ending is even more frustrating for those hooked by thefilm's initial premise. Even worse, hints are laid of somethingconsequential as the reason that the protagonists want to time-travel,but they are left unfulfilled as well. Of all the films mentioned inthis sub-genre, SAFETY has the least edifying conclusion of them all,appealing stars and all.

tabuno

(2013-05-04 10:39:35)

A Delightful and Insightful Human Story

Using time travel as a backdrop, Safety Not Guaranteed is about regret,about the deeply personal experiences of "love" and the stuff we carryaround with us that we make us embarrassed or afraid, ignoring thepossibility of acting on the own stuff. This movie offers a fusion ofnormal and abnormal behavior, everyday life along with the comedic anddramatic surprises, even tragic, that life drops in on people from timeto time. Without pretension, this light-hearted, crazy-like world ofparanoia and secrets, wrapped up in discovering relationships,unexpectedly exploring one's inner world, and risking exposure of one'sown personal locked and sensitive mysteries. What is real, what iscrazy? The movie incorporates conspiracy theory, mystery thriller, andromance and comedy (the last two aptly displayed separately). At thesame time this movie presents characters that could be genuinely realpeople all with observable flaws from the "normal," or, in short, theycould be you or I. It's about conflict, reactive behavior based on fearor hopes (those current or subsequent impulsive wonderful expansive andthose terrible immature feelings and decisions we make) and dreams notaccepted and rejected, and resulting regret or resolution and discoveryof what we can or could do about it. Safety Not Guaranteed is a look atourselves sometimes in ways that we've experienced before and in waysthat we only imagined or feared and failed to and thus preventingourselves from life that in turn prompts up to have wanted to make ourown time machines. The movie keeps the audience guessing, leaping fromone belief about sanity to another belief about insanity, keeping theaudience feeling uncomfortableness, entertainment, and beingoff-balance – to almost a dizzying sense of a delicious mixture ofsweet and sour, hot and cold. It's possible to see elements from themovies Contact (1997) which instead focused on the larger religious,political, and science fiction themes rather than the more intimateeveryday personal experience of life, The Fisher King (1991) thatentered the world of mental illness in a creative, fantastical butrespectful and meaningfully emotive way, and K-Pax (2001) that enteredthe world of mental illness but also a world of other-worldly realityand sanity. What's special about this movie is that it doesn't explainexplicitly and allows the audience to become immersed into the filmexperience and discovery and speculate in their own time and in theirown way. The movie appears to have been produced, directed, and actedwith sincerity which permeates out into the film experience itself andthus enhances the belief and trust of what is experienced, connectingthe film to the audience in an intimate, close way making theexperience more powerful and meaningful. The only distracting elementwas the sync over musical scene that distanced and partial broke themagical immersion into the movie and instead flipped the audience backinto more outside perspective looking into the scene, realizing thatthe fantasy was create and made up, shot and then remixed with asubsequent singing, albeit quality (perhaps unnecessarily good),recording voice-over. What the audience is allowed to come away with isthe mixture of the past and the present and how one's experiences thenow that may offer another future. n the end this movie is about goingit alone or with a partner, when if one chooses a partner, you havecompromises and sacrifices but also someone their to cover your back.

KieronJT

(2013-05-04 10:01:11)

A unique treat

Safety Not Guaranteed is a very unique film. It's an indie, sci-fi,comedy & romance film all bundled into one tidy little package and itworks remarkably well.Taking its inspiration from an advert published in 1997 in a copy ofBackwoods Home Magazine, which read: Wanted: Somebody to go back intime with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393.You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safetynot guaranteed. I have only done this once before.The original ad was placed in the back of the magazine as filler, neverrealising what a stir it may cause.Three of the four main characters work for Seattle Magazine. Darius,Jeff & Arnau, all completely different and all with different reasonsfor being there. It is however, Aubrey Plaza as Darius who I tended tofeel the most sympathetic toward, being completely down to earth yetfeeling completely dissociated from everyone around her until she meetsKenneth played by Mark Duplass.Kenneth is the author of the ad and it's up to Darius to determinewhether he is mad or an exceptional genius who has actually found a wayto travel back in time. Thinking he is being tracked by governmentagents & telling a story of wanting to go back in time to 2001 to savehis then girlfriend from being killed, which may or may not be true. Ishe paranoid & delusional or has he actually managed to defy everythingand build a time machine?Of course Jeff & Arnau have their moments to shine. Given their fairlybrief amount of screen time compared to Darius and Kenneth, they dovery well with the moments handed to them.As I said at the start of my review, Safety Not Guaranteed is a trulyunique film. Blending many elements into one satisfying whole. Itreally shouldn't work, yet it does. As for the ending, you'll have tosee for yourself whether Kenneth succeeds in his plan. I won't ruin itfor you by saying what happens, but I will say it's just a perfectending.

ericzillazillo

(2013-05-03 18:09:38)

A good drama that will leave you wide-mouthed

I would give this film a higher rating, but I can't say I loved it. Thefilm seems to not have a general purpose to it. It might be about timetravel, it might be about friendship, or weird people. It might beabout comedy (however I personally find little laughable issues in thisfilm), or it might be about science fiction but I don't really see thattheme getting integrated into the film really well. One thing for sure,this film is good drama. Not exciting drama, but probably appropriateto the audiences of conventional stage drama where there's lots oftalking, little or no intense scenes and only a few characters.However, the film is really something that gets you to think, to guessif "Kenneth" is really nuts or otherwise. It plays with your mind byoffering you a paranoid character that is completely delusional, but atthe same time convincingly real. I personally came to the conclusionthat the film would come to a disappointing ending when I found outthat the time machine was a wooden boat. And when it actually worked, Iwas like "what the f___ just happened?" Anyways, verdict: This film isentertaining, awkward and will keep you watching. If you like drama,then this film is for you. But don't expect something really beautifulthat will leave you crying on the way home. If you like comedy, getready to smile at a few things and frown at others. If you like Sci-fi,you might find small aspects of this film entertaining (such as thediscussion of time travel stuff in the beginning), but the magicrealism will not be the best quality of the film Star Wars fans arelooking for.

mdnobles19

(2013-04-29 23:57:23)

A true gem of 2012

Safety Not Guaranteed is the most thought provoking, charming, funny,heartfelt and surprising little gem of 2012. I was enamored with it!This film stood out more to me than most star studded vehicles of lastyear, because it tried something different without being so flashy.It's one of those films that surprise you with every frame and like agood book; you don't want it to end and leaves you craving more! Theending is the highlight, surprise movie scene of last year!Thanks to a sharp script everyone in this film was enormously enjoyableto watch and gave subtle, raw, charming and witty performances. Therewas something very sexy and mystique about newcomer Aubrey Plaza, maybeit's her bedroom eyes or Scarlet Johansson lips, but she and theperformance she gave mesmerized me. You'll want to travel back in timewith her too! At least I did. The other standout was Mark Duplass, whoplays Kenneth, a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion fortime travel. He gave an heartfelt, intellect, memorable performance andpulls you into his world, makes you believe, dream of the possibilitiesof time travel, that may be true or some crazy person's bogus ideas.You may recognize Jake Johnson from TV's The New Girl, whose dry senseof humor and deadpan performances are always fun to watch, you can'thelp but like him.Director, Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly, impressed meimmensely with this being their first major film and collaboration!They should definitely collaborate again, because they show truebrilliance and restraint on a modest budget, imagine what they can dowith a much larger one. The possibilities are overflowing! I'm keepingmy eye out for them!Overall, Safety Not Guaranteed is the biggest surprise film of 2012 tome! I believed it, felt it, charmed by it and was completelyentertained throughout and didn't want it to end! I know this might becrazy, but I would mind a continuation of this story. I loved it!Satisfaction guaranteed!

brando647

(2013-04-29 17:01:29)

Great Indie Movie with Awesome Premise

I remember seeing the classified ad that sets this movie in motionfloating around the Internet a while ago. I suppose it was only amatter of time before someone took the premise and turned it into afilm. Genius idea. I wish I'd thought of it. A simple classifiedadvertisement for a man seeking a time travel companion could inspire afew different movie ideas, so I was surprised to see SAFETY NOTGUARANTEED approach it as a romantic comedy. It works, though. I reallyenjoyed this movie. It's funny, honest, and the chemistry feels real.I'm not a fan of romantic comedies because they usually feel forced andthe humor usually fails, but writer Derek Connolly and director ColinTrevorrow have created one of the best in the genre (again, in myopinion). Aubrey Plaza is Darius, an antisocial girl whose life is in arut. She seems friendless and spends most of her time as an intern at alocal Seattle magazine. She volunteers for to work on a storyinvestigating a local classified ad where an unknown man is in searchof a companion to travel through time with. "Must bring your ownweapons. I have only done this once. Safety not guaranteed." Along withher writer boss and another intern, the three seek the man out andDarius is put forward as their contact. Darius and the man, KennethCalloway, hit it off and slowly she gains his trust to become hispartner. As the time of his mission approaches, Darius and Kenneth growcloser while the question continues to loom: can he really travelthrough time or is he insane?SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED definitely feels like a hipster indie film.There's sharp dialogue and a cynical protagonist. As the movieprogresses, of course, you find that there are reasons behind Darius'scynical world views and part of this movie is Darius coming out of hershell about it. It was the time travel premise that lured me in but themovie is, at its core, about relationships. Darius and Kenneth are twopeople who've closed themselves off from the world for personalreasons. There's a subplot of Jeff (Jake Johnson), the staff writer incharge of the story, with his own reasons for going on the trip; hehopes to reunite with a beautiful girl from his teenage years and charmhis way into her bed again. And then there's Arnau (newcomer KaranSoni), the other intern. He's a soft-spoken nerd who's never so much ashad a girlfriend. Whereas Jeff and Kenneth are obsessed withrelationships of the past, Darius and Arnau are having trouble formingrelationships of their own. It's a great story, with all of therelationship subplot material interwoven with the time travel premise.It's a pretty short movie. It's not quite an hour and a half long. Soit's tight pace and the story keeps moving forward, never quite givingthe chance for anything to grow stale or boring.This movie is one of the little surprises that pop up every year. Itgoes around the festival circuit, gets some great reviews, and mightenjoy a limited release if it's lucky. It's a shame. I think this moviewould've done really well if given a chance. I guess it's lack of a bigname attached combined with unproven filmmakers Derek Connolly andColin Trevorrow just didn't give enough confidence for widedistribution. At a budget at less than one million, it wouldn't havebeen that difficult for it to recoup its money and word of mouth wouldhave given it some nice returns. The biggest name in the movie forgeneral audiences would be Aubrey Plaza, who should hopefully see somemore opportunities if this acts as her breakout performance. She's herusual sarcastic self but she's just so likable. Her character isincredibly vulnerable and she's put into a situation where she needs tocome out of her quiet shell. Her chemistry with co-star Mark Duplass isperfect. I've seen some of Duplass's other work, behind the camera. Heand his brother are responsible for CYRUS (good movie) and JEFF, WHOLIVES AT HOME (not so good a movie). In front of the camera, he's greatas Kenneth. He's paranoid but earnest in his bizarre mission. You don'tknow whether to believe him or not.This movie is one of those easy to recommend to pretty much anyone.It's one of those movies that you walk away from feeling good. SAFETYNOT GUARANTEED will hope bring new opportunities to all the talentedpeople involved.

james baesel

(2013-04-28 20:23:37)

Low Budget Sleeper

Based on an excellent story, superb casting , heartfelt - just see it.The interaction - and relationship development between the players isexcellent. What a refreshing break from comic book inspired 'actionfilms' and other slick nonsense. The relationship between Darius andJeff is very poignant. One wishes it went on to what hapened next, butthis could have damaged the delicate balance. The director knew thisand chose not to go that route. The dialog is playful & witty. Themusic is nice. I think that stringed instrument Jeff plays for Darius'sin the fine camp scene is actually called a Dulcimer not a Zither ?James Baesel Lakewood,Ohio USA

fdom

(2013-04-28 15:02:40)

Super cool movie, period.

SNG was a nice little surprise. No easy task making a good movie withsuch a funky (and tired, as in: "time travel, again?") premise. Perfectmovie? No. But great story, great acting ,great characters, greatmusic, and great script. Anyone who's got a heart and soul and a littledream still tucked away in his back pocket will enjoy this movie.The movie's premise, that of a guy who wants company for a "secondattempt at time travel", opens up some simple yet timeless humanstories of longing, redemption, love and faith. Any which way that themovie had ended, whether in failure or success for the time traveler,would have been fine. Why? Well, precisely because it's what happens inbetween that's important, and cool. For "Darius", for "Jeff", for"Kenneth" and a few others, the journey through time is well, thatwhich all of us take: no need for a machine for that.A movie truly succeeds when you actually start thinking about what'sgoing on inside the characters' heads. Yep, this one did that for me.Genuine humor, genuine acting, balanced storytelling, hell, just seeit. Unless you left your heart and your dreams up on a shelf long ago,you won't be disappointed.Never mind those few, sad and bitter negative reviews, all of you whoare not "Jeff", will get an immense kick out of this flik. Yay!!!

James FC

(2013-04-20 04:35:39)

Arcing time travel.

The plot upon the outside would have almost any science fiction fanoverly excited, but what this is - is more of a romantic comedy attimes than a sci-fi. Perhaps its not surprising in a sense that theacting is thoughtful, scenes panned in a smooth manner, and the humouroften subtle and yet heartfelt. But what is surprising is the manner inwhich this is all blended together, creating a warm and glowing tale ofcharacters all with their own issues to correct - and moreso discover.What it perhaps lacks in 'real' time travel, in fact is surpassed bythe travel made by the characters progress. Brilliant casting, combinedwith a really smooth narrative that flows from one scene to the other,add in a bit of spice, occasional tension and light humour, and whatyou have is not only a light hearted romantic-at-its-core film, but infact one that is enjoyed by that sci fi fan who won't actually bedisappointed as they'll be able to relate the the nerdy protagonist andfind themselves forgiving the premise of the film after an hour ofwatching. Nevertheless, this film does have certain drawbacks, oftenthe clichГѓВ©s to which the characters are constrained - but that isoverlooked by the way that the egos (or lack of) often clash andco-exist and help each other throughout. Heartwarming and appealing toall genders (a rarity in the romantic comedy department, but it wouldbe bold to class this in that genre- more of a mutli levelled drama infact) All in all, there are many worse ways you can spend an hour and ahalf, and not much better. And, as for the ending, although I could notsay too much, the sci fi fans won't be disappointed :)

deschreiber

(2013-04-19 13:57:12)

pleasant moments, adding up to nothing

This film is sometimes amusing, although never laugh-out-loud amusing,and generally makes for a pleasant hour or two, but by the end it addsup to nothing. The characters are all appealing. The warmed-up romancebetween the journalist and his ex-girlfriend is sweet and touching, yetjust before the end of the movie it suddenly falls apart, and for noreal reason that I could make out. So why did we follow that subplot atall? Just for its cuteness? I guess so. Not good. The romance betweenthe girl and the time-machine man is touching, but to finish it offwith their sailing off on a time-trip together is ... pretty lame. Allhis paranoia, which was presented as almost certainly a sign of hiscraziness, pretty much played for laughs, turns out to be maybe wellfounded when we learn that the government really does have agents afterhim, and he really has built a time machine. But it causes you to thinkback and realize that many of the comedic-paranoid bits don't makesense if they are to be taken seriously. He's a nutcase, but he's notafter all. So what are we supposed to make of it all? There just isn'ta proper explanation and I, for one, was left dangling and feelingrather cheated by a script that was ultimately quite hollow. I thinkyou hve a lot better things to do with your time.

Tony

(2013-04-18 09:21:36)

Synthetic Mumblecore RomCom

First, the poster touts "From the Producer of "Little Miss Sunshine."It's actually only one of the Producers. The true genius behind theterrific "...Sunshine" is sadly lacking here. This film is the venue ofthe Duplass brothers of mumblecore fame. (Brother Mark took the leadrole.) And mumblecore "Safety Not Guaranteed" is. (One wonders if theDuplass boys will ever move forward.) One expecting more SciFi adventure finds disappointment in "Safety NotGuaranteed." This is simply an Indie RomCom with a smidge of quirk anda little SF. As a RomCom it's a fairly standard damaged goods story:alienated girl loses her Mother; iconic, self-conscious guy who iseither a genius or completely nuts. By end credit's roll we find he maybe both. Her motivation for returning to 2001 is to save her Mother.His, we find, is to save a love killed in an auto accident. Therevelation his lost love was not killed and lives not too far away(Kristen Bell in a cameo) is a tossed in deceit that's right out of theRomCom play book. But it cheapens the character and story, particularlyin the lame way he reacts to being called on it.These two souls find each other when a lazy journalist undertakeswriting a magazine story based on an ad seeking a time travel partner.He takes along, and abuses, two interns: our heroine and a geeky,game-obsessed Indian. The journalist's ulterior motive is to look up ahigh school flame he's never forgotten. This parallel love story leadsnowhere and simply provides balance and further proof safety is notguaranteed in love's arena. Then there's the virgin Indian theJournalist leads to getting laid.The Indian is a stereotype, and that goes down a little hard. It'scertain the character was written with the best comedic intentions butthe portrayal veers over the line. And the big de-virginizing is a yawnas seen in every teen comedy featuring a male who must be rescued fromhis virginity by a more experienced male. Ms. Plaza does fine, but her snarky edge is off putting. That leaveslittle empathy for her. She's written to be hollow following herMother's death, but Ms. Plaza fails to plumb the void she carrieswithin. Mr. Duplass is sufficient. Nothing more, nothing less.The destination, 2001, is tantalizing. Within that date is a smallkernel of a great addition to this lame tale; live in the present.Unfortunately it's unpopped. Conversely, using 2001 is macabre.The technical execution is muddy, dark, desaturated cinematography andlackadaisical editing. Mumblecore exemplified.The little charm and few laughs contained in "Safety Not Guaranteed"are greatly overshadowed in a hackneyed plot the filmmakers try to hideunder a synthetic blanket of something greater. The film also tries toohard to be hip and only partially succeeds. The result is barelywatchable. Queue up if an exercise in Mumblecore 2.0, RomCom is yourthing. Otherwise protection of your film viewing sensibilities is notguaranteed.

zetes

(2013-04-17 13:21:04)

Flawed, but so likable it doesn't matter

Flawed, perhaps, in its script and direction, but it's so utterlylikable that its many flaws don't matter much. Aubrey Plaza (of thetelevision series Parks & Recreation) plays a lonely magazine intern.She's taken along with a columnist (Jake Johnson) to investigate aweird ad that was published in the personals. The ad is looking for acompanion for time travel. "Must bring own weapons. Safety notguaranteed." They find the guy (Mark Duplass) and Plaza ingratiatesherself to him to get the story. Meanwhile, Johnson, kind of a lazyd-bag, goes looking for a former fling. It doesn't go anywhere toosurprising, but it's sweet and touching. It helps that I'mhead-over-heals in love with Aubrey Plaza. She's basically just playinga toned down April Ludgate, but, whatever, I love her to death.

zaki-mohzani

(2013-04-13 00:49:27)

If you're used to mainstream movies, skip this !

This is not an adventure movie nor a comedy.It is meant for those that enjoy football games played by teamscomprised of snails. Take a side and hope that your side wins as thestory slowly unfolds.It was horror for me as I hoped for jokes related to the troubles of acontemporary/present mind (especially Generation Z) venturing into adistant past.Finally, I am sad to say for the first time in my life I am compelledto say this is 'the worst movie of my life' although I do tend to enjoymovies that have similar qualities i.e. slow character development/plotrelevation.

Lucy_Rose84

(2013-04-12 14:13:47)

And unlikely and touching romance

I had no idea what to expect from this film, but within about 5 minutesI was hooked. Aubrey Plaza plays Darius, a dry-witted and cynicalmagazine intern desperate to move up the ranks and write her ownarticles. When an opportunity arises to assist on an assignment toinvestigate a man who claims he can time travel, she jumps at thechance. She befriends the man, Kenneth, and plays along with hiseccentricities in order to win his trust and be accepted as his timetravelling partner.The characters are excellent - quirky yet humane, with snappy and wittydialogue that reminded me of 'Juno' - which is important with a storyas character led as this. Mark Duplass as Kenneth is superb, andsomehow manages imbue the character with enough eccentricity for us toquestion Darius's trust in him, whilst being endearing enough for us tobuy her attraction to him. If it wasn't for my investment in the characters, I think I would havefelt the pace lag. There is a lot of repetition as Kenneth trainsDarius in preparation for their mission - but I was kept guessing rightuntil the end as to whether Kenneth's time travelling claims would berevealed as a product of a wild imagination or brilliant scientificmind. At the end of the day it didn't really matter. This is the storyof two damaged souls who form an unlikely bond and make each otherwhole, and that in itself was utterly touching.