Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) Reviews

• Sincere and enjoyable feel good movie

  KnightsofNi112012-06-22

  When a man puts a classified ad in the newspaper asking for a companion to time travel with him, a magazine writer and two interns go find him to find out his story. Aubrey Plaza plays Darius, one of the interns who at first seems pretty disinterested in the whole situation, ends up being the one who has to pretend like she wants to time travel. She expects to be working with a total nutjob, completely off his rocker, but instead she finds that Kenneth, the man who put the ad in the paper, is actually an incredible insightful, sweet, and softhearted person and that time traveling is more a facade for finding yourself and it's more of a metaphor for fixing old mistakes. It's a surprisingly touching film that has a lot more to offer than one might have expected. Great dramadies are few and far between these days. They are usually too unfocused, can't find that perfect balance between comedy and drama, and try too hard to be profound when it comes to taking a look at the human condition. Safety Not Guaranteed finds a way past all these things. It has a clear and poignant focus that drives a heartfelt and oddly moving story. It's a great blend of comedy and drama as it tells a great story on a very human level, but also delivers its own pleasant brand of comedy. It's more clever comedy than laugh out loud comedy, but it fits just right for what this movie is trying to accomplish. Safety Not Guaranteed could have easily been a sham and it could have gone too far overboard on its profundities. Instead, the excellent script keeps itself at bay and manages to tell a story that is more sincere than one would expect and feels more real than a dramady that is trying to be the most realistic of human stories. There's nothing here that will floor you or blow you out of the water, but it truly is a lovely and heartwarming story. Normally feel good movies aren't my thing, but Safety Not Guaranteed is sincere enough and of a quality that makes it an absolute joy to watch. That being said, I don't know that I'd watch it again, and I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it's great for one viewing and it's an hour and a half well spent. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with a heart.

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• Safety Not Guaranteed...3 out of 4 Skittles

  FilmStallion2012-09-06

  LOGLINE: Mark Duplass (Puffy Chair & Humpday) plays Kenneth, the local small town weirdo who bags groceries and places a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation & Funny People) plays Darius, an intern sent in on assignment with her co-workers (Jake M. Johnson & Karan Soni) to secretly pose as potential time travel candidates and get the scoop for the entertainment magazine. Obviously the guy is an insane wack-job…or is he? As Darius gets in closer with Kenneth and slowly finds out more and more about him, she isn't so sure anymore. Can this guy actually do what he claims, or is he so far off his rocker that he has lost all sight of reality? Writer Derek Connolly weaves in and out the possibilities of what is true and keeps the audience guessing until the film's final second payoff. Actors Duplass and Plaza are so great radiating weirdness off of each other. The two form an unusual friendship that rings true in every detail. Jake M. Johnson (New Girl) and Karan Soni add several laughs to the bizarre…yet hilarious story. The film had many chances to lose sight of believability, but finds a way to stay on course. The film's ending left me torn. No matter if you are the kind of person rooting for Kenneth to be vindicated, or believe he is crazy all along…the story keeps you hooked until the credits roll. Safety Not Guaranteed was a breakout hit from the Sundance Film Festival, and contains the spirit of what independent films strive to be. It's authentic, creative, unusual, and a breath of fresh air. It's fun to see what independent filmmakers come up with when they aren't restrained by the annoyance of making every viewer happy. If you are up for something different…do yourself a favor and see this one. For more quick reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com

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• Amazing

  buzzbruin2012-06-08

  A wonderful film. The story is science fiction, fantasy and real-life relationships. The plot is unique (I know some reviewers have likened it to the back to the future series which was for fun and was fun). It is not only funny, (laugh out loud funny) but mysterious as to what is really going on and stir in some fantasy and science fiction-- but underneath is the inspection of all human beings and their lives and relationships. The casting was superb and the scenic northwest photography was great, I didn't know any of the actors but suffice to say they were chosen by a director of amazing talent. His idea his plot and his script were really really fine. I saw it in LA in Burbank and the audience was mostly the internet set and they loved it. All of their generations electronic things were a big part of the film, but this masterful director reached me, a senior--explaining the kids and yet reaching me with the love stories and those of friendship. Thus the director brought the old universal story of love among all of us. I can only say he is in for a tough career because with this film he has set the bar for himself and his crew very very high. Based on this work he will be great!!

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• How does a film get a standing ovation?

  mrtrsharp2012-02-12

  Every so often I stumble across the kind of film that captures both heart and soul, the kind of film that makes me laugh and cry, makes me scoot forward on the edge of my seat, not because of the thrill of the chase or the climax of dramatic tension, but simply because I am cheering for the characters to make it! Because somehow my hope has found a way to attach to the hope of the characters, because I have felt strangely welcomed into their journey, because I am longing to believe that this world is more than a cold, cynical place, and that something beyond the natural may just be possible. There are lots of "feel-good" movies about relationships and love, but not quite as many that touch a chord deep within all of us that is usually reserved for the realm of religion or spiritual experience. Sometimes, a movie is made that feels transcendent. For me, that is how I left the theater after watching Safety Not Guaranteed at Sundance. It helped that the packed theater erupted in a cathartic cheer at the movie's final moment, which tells me that something else was going on for my fellow film-goers as well. In short, I think that this funny, engaging, interesting, character-driven, heart-warming independent film shot on a shoestring budget on location in Oregon touched that part in all of us that longs to believe in the unbelievable, that wonders if the "impossible" might, just might possibly be true after all. Safety Not Guaranteed is about Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a man who is creating a time machine and places an ad in a local classifieds looking for a partner to time travel with him. The ad tells readers: "This is not a joke. Bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed." Intrigued, a local magazine decides to send a staff-writer (who has his own time-travel agenda of revisiting a 20 year old high-school first love) and two interns to find the author and see how crazy he really is. The film weaves the boy-meets-girl main storyline with two sub-plots of self-discovery: the thirty-something writer's encounter with his old high school fling, and the classic-nerd intern encouraged to make his own youthful fling. Initially playing the part, Darius the intern (Aubrey Plaza) starts to fall for a man driven by his passion, with whom she finds a connection in her own past pain and regret. Not your Back To the Future time travel story, we never see the machine until the end, and the director leaves us wondering if it even exists. And yet, we are led masterfully throughout the narrative to long for, maybe even start to believe that Kenneth is "for real" and that he has stumbled onto the kind of adventure that transcends the pain of the ordinary present. Without this hope for the impossible, this longing for "another world," Safety Not Guaranteed would be just like any other romantic comedy where the misfit get the girl, and the cynical girl forgives herself and opens her heart to love. The beauty of the film is in its hope-filled longing, its call to believe. We stand at the lake beside the time machine with Darius, watching Kenneth stretch his hand out and ask us to take a step of faith, to put into action what we have been secretly hoping was possible. For the first time Darius has to take a real step to truly believe, which is a great conclusion to the film. Isn't that the heart of faith in God? There are many who say they believe and hope very much that it is all true. But in the end, are we willing to step out onto the boat and commit, when the outstretched hand beckons us to put our trust in Another and when the whole thing looks rather silly or (worse), rather crazy? Such is the story we are all asked to live, and a movie like Safety Guaranteed gets an audience standing ovation because we know Darius' step of faith is ours as well.

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• Magical Little Gem That Makes You Believe

  Michael_Elliott2012-07-16

  Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Grocery clerk Kenneth (Mark Duplass) places an ad in a local paper asking for someone to go with him as he time travels. He says they'll be paid once they return but safety isn't guaranteed as he's only done this once before. A magazine writer (Jake Johnson) hears about the story and takes a long a couple interns, one named Darius (Aubrey Plaza), quickly gets caught up with the time traveler as she applies for the job without him knowing that she's actually on a job. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED is a pretty strange film to classify because it's part comedy and there are certainly some very light moments but the film also has a tremendous heart, which lets the characters actually be characters and this leads to some pretty dramatic moments. I guess the best way to classify this film is just by calling it life because it pretty much has a little bit of everything in it. What I found so good about the picture is simply how cute and charming it actually is. The reporters go into this story expecting to find a crazy man because we all know that time travel can't happen. What works so well with the film is the fact that you makes you believe that these type of things are possible and you really get caught up with all the characters and their situations. By the time the movie is over, and I won't spoil the ending, you're leaving the theater with a smile on your face no matter what your brain might tell you afterwards. Duplass and Plaza are simply perfect together as both of them bring the weirdness and loneliness out of their characters but they also have such a warm and wonderful chemistry that you can't help but fall for both of them. I also thought Johnson was extremely good in his supporting role as is Karan Soni as the other intern. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED is really a magical little gem that is a breath of fresh air if you're wanting to get away from the loud blockbusters of the summer.

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