Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) [Blu-ray]
Comedy

"Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety Not Guaranteed. I have only done this once before." An unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle magazine employees to go looking for the story behind it. They discover its author is a mysterious eccentric named Kenneth, a likable but paranoid supermarket clerk, who believes he's solved the riddle of time travel and intends to depart soon. Together, they embark on a hilarious, smart, and unexpectedly heartfelt journey.

Storyline: Darius is a young intern at a Seattle-based magazine and jumps at the chance to investigate the author of a classified ad seeking someone to travel back in time with. Along with Jeff, the staff writer, and Arnau, a fellow intern, the three go on a road trip to a coastal town. While Jeff just wants to chase after his high school crush and Arnau wants some kind of life experience, Darius spends her time with Kenneth, a man who believes that he has built a time machine. The closer they become and the more they understand about each other, the less clear it becomes if Kenneth is just crazy or if he actually is going to successfully travel back in time. Written by napierslogs

User Comment: *** This review may contain spoilers *** Tom Sharp from United States, 12 February 2012 • : 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.

Summary: How does a film get a standing ovation?

User Comment: *** This review may contain spoilers *** joel696 from United States, 5 February 2012 • From the get go I expected this movie to be my favorite at Sundance. It was. It was charming, witty, quirky and totally kicked ass chuck norris style. You get to know several characters and each has their moment in the sun, though Aubrey gets the bulk of the great lines. There could have been even more of her deadpan delivers. That would have suited me fine. The writer did do a good job of balancing the story lines and showed intimate aspects of each character. I'm not sure how believable the relationship was between the main characters, but that didn't bother me too much (i was probably just jealous i wasn't building my own time machine to pick up chicks). While the movie seems to survive mostly on simple ideas and witty remarks, I wanted to go on that adventure too. He lived in a world that was about as normal as you can get in hick-sticks, USA. Like most of us as we get a little older, adventure passes us and is replaced by juice boxes and diaper changes. This move appeals to all kinds and touches us in memorable ways. Even if you don't have a time machine, you can always add a little adventure in your life and you can appreciate it even more when you have a partner you can trust with your life--safety not guaranteed though. ;o)

Summary: witty, touching, sweet, memorable--Standing O at the end at Sundance.

User Comment: buzzbruin from United States, 8 June 2012 • 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!!

Summary: Amazing.

[CSW] -3.7- This charming little independent movie has a fairly original story, with human dimensions, good production values, actors who actually act, some suspense, characters who are revealed to be more interesting as the tale progresses, quite a bit of subtle humor and wit, a bit of chemistry, a plot with; a few nice twists, turns, and surprises, and an ending that doesn't necessarily guarantee a sequel, unless of course, things go according to plan. I thought it was a beautiful little gem of a movie. It is part adventure but all romantic comedy which I usually don't find all that interesting but this was unique enough that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It is funny, awkward and beautiful at the same time. The characters are human and flawed and wonderful because of it. The more I think about it, the more I like it, so I say you should take a chance on this one.
[V3.5-A4.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

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