Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) – Review

Review: Safety Not Guaranteed is a heartfelt and funny indie drama. The film is about Darius, a magazine intern who has sort of felt lost since her mom died when she was young. During her latest assignment, accompanying a writer and another intern for the magazine on a story about a guy Kenneth who thinks he can time travel, she for the first time finds something she cares about and can believe in. Director Colin Trevorrow has created a film that both encompasses all the generic and typical genre devices of a quirky indie dramedy and has a fresh and wonderfully genuine spark to it. Trevorrow seemingly checks off each expected narrative component that a viewer familiar with indie dramedies would anticipate being in the film: an overall oddness and ironic tone to the world and quirkiness to the characters, characters stifled by seemingly meaningless existences (and jobs), a low budget feel (hand held camera work, natural lighting and so on), and emotive stares saying more than words (among others). However, all that being true, and all that being seemingly done to death in almost every indie dramedy to date, Tervorrow still infuses the film with a gleeful optimism and infectious almost magical tone that something special might truly happen, which makes the film completely compelling. This is only built upon by Trevorrow’s great characters. While in a general sense, the film may seem generic on the surface; on a deeper level these characters are still vital and relatable to the audience because Trevorrow and his actors give them good character moments and depth. They feel real and fleshed out, connecting them to the audience (and thereby the audience cares what happens to them). What they have to say means something and is not just trivial or plot-driven. Trevorrow also does a good job keeping the film brisk and moving, when it easily could have been overlong and meandering (which would have greatly hurt its impact). There are three main characters and two principal supporting characters, and yet even with the film’s short runtime, each has a full narrative journey and meaningful experience. And, the ending is utterly satisfying. Much like Primer, Safety Not Guaranteed is a low budget indie that gives big budget time travel narratives a run for their money and is better than most (thanks to great characters).

Techincal, aesthetic & acting achievements: Colin Trevorrow, making his feature debut, has done well for himself creating a narrative that is structurally sound and characters that the audience can take stock in, while seemingly complying to the stylistic requirements of the current indie dramedy genre. I look forward to seeing what he does next. Composer Ryan Miller’s score is almost overly generic for the genre (though, it will probably be well received for fans not yet fully burnt out on the style – here is an example), but still works well with the material overall.  Cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke and production designer Ben Blankenship, much like Miller’s score, stylistically are aligned with what we typically expect from the genre. Though, at the same time, having the film visually exist completely in a real toned down space worked well juxtaposed to the narrative device of time travel. The cast is great throughout, and is what makes the film special. Kristen Bell is good in a small role, while Jenica Bergere and Karan Soni are great in their supporting roles. Jake M. Johnson brings a lot of raw energy to the film, playing magazine writer Jeff as someone cool and self-satisfied in a superficial way, but sad on a more personal level. Mark Duplass’s character Kenneth on paper seems to be hard to play – being weird and paranoid, yet endearing – but he plays him almost effortlessly. This is really Duplass’s acting breakthrough. Aubrey Plaza plays Darius somewhat along the same lines as her character in Parks and Recreation – being disengaged – but rather than it being motivated by “it is not cool to care” here Darius is troubled and depressed. She desperately wants to feel something, but life has just let her down so far. It is strong work by Plaza as well.

Summary & score: Safety Not Guaranteed may not be one of the great remembered indie dramas of the decade (or even year), but it is certainly compelling, different and interesting. 8/10

Stars to Watch: Part 8 – Movies Spotlight – May 2012

Cinema constantly has new talent each and every year, making great films and opening audiences’ eyes to new characters, stories and worlds. 2012’s summer offers new films from these four budding new talented actresses.

Alice Eve

What She’s Been In:

Alice Eve, 30, got her start while at Oxford, appearing in student stage productions. In 2004, she got her first roles on BBC television with Hawking and The Rotter’s Club, as well as a small part in Stage Beauty. Her first break came when she booked a principal supporting role opposite James McAvoy and Rebecca Hall in 2006’s Starter for 10. She has since taken roles in the comedy crime thriller Big Nothing with Simon Pegg, the failed Crash wannabe Crossing Over, Sex and the City 2, the British rom-com The Decoy Bride, the poorly received horror film ATM, and as a reoccurring character (and love interest of Vincent Chase) in the final season of Entourage.

Breakthrough:

Eve’s breakthrough in her home country of England may have been Starter for 10, but in the States it came in the 2010 rom-com She’s Out of My League, playing opposite Jay Baruchel. The film is about a normal guy (Baruchel) with a normal job (TSA agent) who meets the ‘perfect’ woman (a 10). But his insecurity begins to chip away at their relationship, because he doubts that she really likes him (because, in his mind how could she). Eve plays Molly, the girl who is seemingly way out of the normal guy’s league. The film is funny, and Eve is good in it. In April of this year she also starred opposite John Cusack and Luke Evans in The Raven (her second big American film). It is about Edgar Allen Poe and a young Baltimore detective who team up to stop a madman who begins killing people in the manner described in Poe’s stories. Eve plays the love interest/damsel in distress (while not a weighty dramatic or comedy part, it will get her more exposure).

Summer Film(s):

In May, Eve has a principal supporting role in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black III, which sees the return of Will Smith (both to the series and to films) and Tommy Lee Jones. Along with Eve, Josh Brolin is new to the cast. The film is about the sudden disappearance from existence of Agent K. Now, Agent J must time travel back to the 1960s to stop Agent K’s assassination. Eve plays young Agent O, who is the head of the MIBs in the present. She is also playing a younger version of Emma Thompson. MI3 is certainly the biggest film of Eve’s career to date, and its success will play a role in her success, but she has already booked an even bigger project set from 2013 which will likely make her more of a household name. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

In addition to The Raven and MI3, Eve has a third film slated for 2012. She stars with Samantha Morton, Aaron Paul and Helen Hunt in the drama Decoding Annie Parker. It is about the mostly true story of Annie Parker and the almost discovery of a cure for cancer. In 2013, she stars in J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek Sequel. The whole principal cast is back, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Eve new to the cast. Her role in the narrative and character are still secret, but it will be a film that should see her in many more films to come.

Career Highlights:

1)      Starter for 10 (2006) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD)

2)      She’s Out of My League (2010) – lead (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Entourage (2011) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD)

*Editor’s picks

Zoe Kazan

What She’s Been In:

Zoe Kazan, 28, got her start growing in up in the business. Both her parents are screenwriters and her grandfather is famed auteur director Elia Kazan. Her first role, while still in college at Yale, was in 2003’s Swordswallowers and Thin Men. From there, she took small roles in a number of films – notably The Savages, Fracture, In the Valley of Elah, Me and Orson Welles, Revolutionary Road(which was her first weighty dramatic film role, though still small),  The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, and It’s Complicated. She also began acting in stage plays. She made her Broadway debut in William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba. Next she took a role in another Broadway show – Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. Being a playwright as well, her first play Absalom was performed at the 2009 Humana Festival of New American Plays. She got her first lead parts in the 2009 indie movies I Hate Valentine’s Day and The Exploding Girl. In 2010, she got a role as a reoccurring character on the HBO show Bored to Death (season two).

Breakthrough:

Kazan is known much more as an indie actress than for her work in Hollywood. A resident of Brooklyn, she mostly appears in plays and smaller films. Her breakthrough films in the indie world came with bigger parts in Happythankyoumoreplease and Meek’s Cutoff, both of which saw limited distribution in 2011. Happythankyoumoreplease is Josh Radnor’s dramedy romance following young people in relationships in New York City. Kazan plays one of these people, and the sister to Radnor’s lead. The film is sweet, funny and also a little sappy. Meek’s Cutoff, on the other hand, is a bleak western from Kelly Reichardt, starring Michelle Williams (and frequent Kazan collaborator Paul Dano). It is about settlers in 1845 on the Oregon Trail, having to deal with the bitter hardships of the journey. Kazan plays one of the settlers, in what is probably her most dramatically taxing performance to date.

Summer Film(s):

In July, Kazan co-stars with Paul Dano in the fantasy rom-com Ruby Sparks (which she also wrote – her first produced screenplay). It is about a struggling novelist with writer’s block. One day, to help himself begin his new book, he creates a new character Ruby Sparks (played by Kazan). Magically, she somehow comes into existence and he finds that he can control her by writing her character in his book (and yes, in different hands this could be very dark and depraved). Thus, he tries to write a girl he thinks will love him. The film is the second by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (the directors of Little Miss Sunshine). It looks light and fanciful, and serves as good counterprogramming to the blockbusters of summer, and hopefully sees Kazan getting bigger roles in the future. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

Kazan has a few movies upcoming. First, she stars with Nikki Reed and Steve Howey in the Joss Whedon scripted sci-fi romance In Your Eyes, directed by Brin Hill. Then, she has a supporting role in the Neil LaBute drama Some Girl(s), directed by Jennifer Getzinger (who has directed seven episodes of Mad Men among other TV) and starring Kristen Bell, Jennifer Morrison and Emily Watson. Finally, she stars opposite Jake Johnson in writer-director Jenee LaMarque’s debut The Pretty One, about a twin sister who assumes her sister’s identity after she dies.

Career Highlights:

1)      Revolutionary Road (2008)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

2)      Happythankyoumorepleae (2010) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Meek’s Cutoff (2010) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

4)      Bored to Death (2010) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s picks

Anna Kendrick

What She’s Been In:

Anna Kendrick, 26, got her start at a young age. Her parents would let her brother and her take the bus down from Maine to New York City to take auditions. Her first acting role came on Broadway in High Society in 1998 (she played Dinah), a performance that would earn her a Tony Award nomination (she is the third youngest actor to be nominated). She appeared in a number of other stage productions before making her film debut in 2003’s Camp (for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance). She next took a supporting role in the indie dramedy Rocket Science. Her work in Rocket Science and Camp lead to her auditioning for and winning a small supporting role in Twilight (playing one of Bella’s high school friends). While her role is relatively small, set against the scale of the series, Kendrick did get her name a face out there to a much broader audience. She reprised her role in three of the sequels.

Breakthrough:

Kendrick’s breakthrough came with 2009’s Up in the Air. She was writer-director Jason Reitman’s first choice to play the role of Natalie Keener (a role that garnered her an Oscar nomination). She is brilliant in the film, holding her own in many scenes against George Clooney. But, I contend that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and 50/50 also have served as breakthrough films for her (as her work across these three films have made her one of my favorite young actresses). In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, directed by Edgar Wright, she has a small supporting role as Pilgrim’s sister. While infrequent, she is funny in her scenes (showing that she has a knack for comedy). 50/50 sees her co-starring opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in director Jonathan Levine’s cancer comedy. Kendrick, much like with Up in the Air, turns in a wonderful performance, playing both dramatic and comedic beats well. These three films (alright, maybe not Scott Pilgrim) have made her one of the most in-demand talents right now.

Summer Film(s):

In May, Kendrick stars in 2012’s celebrity spectacular (cramming as many famous people into one movie as possible – something that generally never turns out well, unless it is called A Bridge Too Far) What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Directed by Kirk Jones and also starring Elizabeth Banks, Brooklyn Decker, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Dennis Quaid (who stopped caring sometime around 2005, and blatantly just shows up for paychecks now), Chace Crawford, Rodrigo Santoro (and many others), the film is about multiple interweaving stories revolving around being pregnant. Kendrick plays one such pregnant person, after meeting Crawford, getting down and then oops/surprise. While in all likeliness, this will neither be good, nor will win any acclaim for Kendrick (if anyone is walking away from this in a positive light it is Chris Rock or Banks), it still is the biggest project Kendrick has been a part of and should continue to build her career momentum (as based on what comes out and what makes money, most cinemagoers do not care if movies are good or not). Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

Kendrick has a whole slew of project upcoming. She has five slated for release in 2012. First the new animated film from the same studio (and style) as Coraline and Corpse Bride. ParaNorman, directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell and starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, is the story of a misunderstood boy who can speak to the dead. When the dead begin to rise, he just might be the only one who can save his town (I just wonder why this is coming out in August and not October when it is clearly a Halloween movie). Kendrick has a supporting voice role. Next, she co-stars in the David Ayer cop drama (he seems to only make cop dramas) End of Watch with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Then, she stars in the Jason Moore musical Pitch Perfect (finally getting to show off her Broadway singing voice in a film that more than ten people will see – yes that was a joke directed at Camp). And then, she stars in the religious apocalypse comedy Rapturepalooza, directed by Paul Middleditch. Finally in 2012, she has a supporting role in Robert Redford’s new thriller The Company You Keep starring Shia LaBeouf and Redford, about a former activist who goes on the run after a journalist discovers his identity. In 2013, she co-stars in the Dylan Kidd comedy Get a Job with Alison Brie and Bryan Cranston. While none of these projects immediately scream ‘I’m gonna be great!’, they all have promise, and Kendrick should find herself among the elite actresses of her generation (assuming things work out).

Career Highlights:

1)      Rocket Science (2007) – supporting (DVD)

2)      Up in the Air (2009)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD)

4)      50/50 (2011)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s picks

Aubrey Plaza

What She’s Been In:

Aubrey Plaza, 27, got her start taking on multiple internships, including being an NBC page (like Kenneth – she actually plays a page in a season one episode of 30 Rock). She is also a member of the improv and sketch comedy group the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (other notable members include: Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt, Jake Johnson, and Paul Scheer). Her first role came as a series regular on Mayne Street, a web comedy series based around ESPN personality Kenny Mayne. She has also appeared on the web series Troopers and TV series Portlandia. Film wise, she has been in three small indie films: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, The End of Love and Damsels in Distress (which by far the best of the three). But, outside of her breakthrough roles, she is probably best known as the snarky Julie Powers in the cult (classic) film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Breakthrough:

Plaza’s breakthrough came in 2009’s Funny People, the Judd Apatow film starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen about a famous comedian who is diagnosed with a life threatening disease, which leads him to reevaluate his life. She plays an up and coming stand-up comedian and the love interest to Rogen’s character. However, an even bigger breakthrough came when she was cast as a series regular on Parks and Recreation. She plays April Ludgate, a city employ void of all ambition and drive. After struggling through its first season, it has become one of the better TV comedies (especially season two, which is phenomenal).

Summer Film(s):

In June, Plaza takes on her first starring role in the indie summer comedy/adventure Safety Not Guaranteed. Co-starring Jake Johnson and Mark Duplass, and directed by Colin Trevorrow, the film is about a guy, Kenneth, who places an ad in the classified section seeking a companion for time travel. Intrigued, three magazine employees head out to try and interview Kenneth. Plaza plays one of the magazine employees who then gets pulled in by Kenneth and begins to question whether or not he is for real. It looks to be a potentially wonderful comedy, and good counter programming to the blockbusters. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

Plaza has two projects upcoming, in addition to the continuation of Parks and Recreation. First, she has a supporting role in Roman Coppola’s new comedy about a graphic designer whose life goes downhill after his girlfriend breaks up with him. Entitled A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, it stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Charlie Sheen and Bill Murray. If CQ is any indication, it should be an interesting film. And second, she has a supporting role in the comedy The To-Do List. Directed by Maggie Carey and starring Rachel Bilson and Scott Porter (and a bunch of great comedians), it is about a high school grad who feels pressure to be more sexually experience before going to college. The first is tentatively scheduled for a 2012 release, the other 2013.

Career Highlights:

1)      Funny People (2009)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

2)      Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD)

3)      Parks and Recreation (2009-present)* – lead (DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s picks