Takeaway: Despite some heavy-handed direction, Safe House shows up well in its genre, offering plenty of expertly-executed action, strong principal performances, and pacing that never allows one to become complacent (and that is all I have to say about that). Vibing on the same wavelength as Unknown and Contraband, Safe House will take the edge off a craving for Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne and satisfy action fans looking for an enjoyable weekend get-together.
Sporting characters well-rendered yet formulaic, with the exception of Ryan Reynolds any solid actor could fulfill any role (though Denzel Washington de facto tops the short list for our anti-hero). Sadly, this leaves our stellar supporting cast at CIA headquarters just a tad squandered, relegated to "over-emotive irritated authority figure" vs. true performance (the consistency of this can only be due to direction). In a perfect world, Safe House would have been a spectacular opportunity for lesser known actors to demonstrate their chops, much as Jeremy Renner did in The Hurt Locker. Ah well… (But keep your eye on Fares Fares, case in point.)
Despite any shortcomings, it’s an early effort for director Daniel Espinsoa, and his being able to pull this level of talent and handle this level of wide-angle action bodes very well for our future. With a bit of box office support and script enhancement, we could be seeing the makings of next Jack or Jason (or George!). Time will tell. In the meantime, just enjoy Washington doing what he does best, Reynolds adding some serious Action/Adventure to his repertoire with aplomb, and gritty dazzling battles, and you’ll come away pleased.
Story: An untested CIA cog finds himself charged with custody of a rogue agent who is also the world's most notorious ~ and tenaciously hunted ~ turncoat.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, Ruben Blades, Robert Patrick, Joel Kinnaman, Fares Fares
Directed by: Daniel Espinosa
See it if: You enjoy Reynolds and/or Washington themselves (can’t go wrong there of course), and extended action sequences for their own glorious sakes (the car chase even showed some shades of Friedkin ~ Espinosa might be finding his calling…).
Skip it if: A ratio of 85% Fun Formula, 20% Insight & Intrigue is too imbalanced for you (it’s rather the opposite of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).
MPAA: R
Running time: 115 minutes
Official site: http://www.nooneissafe.com
Houston release date: February 10, 2012
Tickets: Check Fandango.com or your local listings
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