Safe House

Those seeking an Oscar-worthy and realistically violent film chronicling the correlation between power and corruption should probably steer clear of Safe House. It’s a film you may have seen before: about a naïve and unnecessarily sexy CIA agent coming in close contact with, and learning from, a wizened rogue agent who has seen the twisted ways of the world. Safe House is not that bad—it’s an escape from the darker, heavier, Oscar season films that have been storming theaters on a quest for the golden statuette. The acting is adequate and the pacing is sound. On the other hand, it’s nothing new.

It is a little funny to see Ryan Reynolds in an action movie this similar in cinematography and atmosphere to the Bourne series. Throughout the movie he gets a lot of screen time, looking determined, exhausted and shirtless; this is sharply contrasted with a conspicuous absence of time spent beating up assailants. The bulk of the action comes from explosions, fast-paced gun fights and other supporting sequences that have little to do with Reynolds himself. As far as action films go, the movie falls somewhat flat because it seems to focus on Ryan Reynolds’ sex appeal more than the justice being served to the murderous antagonists of the film. But what would else would you expect from a movie starring the hottest man in Hollywood?

Denzel Washington plays his role effectively, but the script itself offers little in the way of character development. Like its focus on Reynolds’ sex appeal before agency, the script emphasizes Washington’s slow and powerful insights only after he snaps someone’s neck or miraculously avoids a shower of bullets. This contrast of deliberate thought after thoughtless violence becomes, with enough repetition, more humorous than profound.

Though the script is very conventional, replete with a twist that is expected and predictable, Safe House is saved by a sense of purpose and plenty of expensive-looking popcorn-flick violence. The pacing is quick, and despite the aforementioned slow moments, the film never seems to dawdle. The done-and-done-again plot doesn’t keep you from the edge of your seat as Reynolds dodges bullets or Denzel swerves away from oncoming traffic. Ninety percent of the details are lost, or irrelevant, by the time you leave the theater, but you could probably pick that up from the Watch the Throne-soundtracked trailer. Safe House is fun, and that’s about it. What did you expect?

—Duncan Dodson