“3.75/5″, they cried! Burn him. Burn him at the stake. Or make him watch Unstoppable on a loop for all eternity. Either is just as bad as each other.
“But I really liked it!”, I retort. “It was a 9:30pm showing, and I only dozed of for mere second, so it must be good. It MUST be.” I replied. “It’s at least a gazillion times better than Unstoppable – a travesty of an action film.”, I screamed back, a bit like a girl.
And then silence. I had silenced the doubters. They returned to their caves, sharpening their knives for John Carter and Avengers (ASSEMBLE!).
It’s quiet now. So quiet.
It’s safe to say I think I’m out on my own with how much I liked Safe House. Certainly within my group of friends. But, that’s the cross I bear. I know that now.
My main reason is going in, I had decided I loved it. I thought the trailer, with its brilliant use of Kanye West, made it look a cut above. I watched Killer Elite, t’other day. It’s OK. A good throw away action/spy movie. But the way cinema is going, you can see films like that, even with De Niro (especially with De Niro), not even getting the limited cinema run it got.
Safe House has a major plus point. Two, in fact. The obvious: Denzel. Here, allowed to play it straight. Morally ambiguious. Cloaked in history, and a past. There’s no money shot. No, “KING KONG ‘AIN’T GOT SHIT ON ME. Not gurning. It’s just played straight. And deservedly so. I totally bought it. And, as another deal with myself, (sort of like a pact with the Devil), I knew I’d love it if they stayed true, right to the end. I won’t talk about the ending, but, minus the last frames, I thought they got it spot on. And in a film like this, for me, that can be a deal breaker.
The other selling point? Ryan Reynolds. Hands up who’s seen Smokin’ Aces recently? Shame on all of you. If only to see Jeremy Piven ace it, you need to get involve. Chris Pine, too. (There’s a link there, somewhere). But in that film, in the closing stages in a hospital, Reynolds cuts loose. He plays a superbly emotional scene, and if we didn’t realise then, we know now, the boy can act. Green Lantern did nothing to change that for me. Like QT, I think the critical reaction to it was an embarrassment. Be disappointed, sure. But to act like it was the apocalypse. Just because the 3D was a bit muggy, (it’s better at Home, as always). Or because the CGI was mixed. People need perspective.
I’m a Reynolds fan. I’m a Denzel fan, (although he may never top Crimson Tide for me). So it’s a good mix.
Then, they cut the CGI bullshit. This film feels real. Not just in the gunfights. Again, comparing to Killer Elite, which has a similar “shooting down the hallway at the baddies” scene, it feels so much more real and versatile. It’s not particularly bloody, but it felt nasty. A woman gets shot, when you’re used to her getting away – that sort of thing. I’m a sadist, I guess, but I like that in action films. Make it dark. Make me think a lead character could die. (I miss you, To Live And Die In L.A.). Make me think they are in peril – and that the sweat is real.
And there is sweat. I’m not sure enough was made of the Johannesburg setting, for me. One scene aside in a football ground, (FUCKING VUVUZELAS!), they didn’t get enough of the culture across. It could have been anywhere. I wanted a speech, or Denzel moment, (This is Afr—ica, Danny), but alas no.
Thankfully then, they spend most of their time in cars. And when they do, the action is far better than your average action film. Whether it is RR putting a seat belt on to deliberately crash the car, or weaving in and out of on coming traffic, the action delivers.
I have to say, there were bits that jarred, too. Baddies (!) shouldn’t reload, or conceal guns so blatantly, for one. It totally disrespected the reality the film was going for. Also, Robert Patrick was great. But in films like this, If you want a 4/5, your team/squad/whatever really needs a Bill Paxton. And a Michael Biehn. Maybe a Chris Hemsworth. Make it happen. Do you think they’d make themselves available to be on the big screen, again? Of course they would.
I did nod of, (at around 11:10pm), but I’m saying I loved this film inspire of how tired I was. Maybe love is a strong word. But I liked it very much.
And it got an extra .25/5 for that Kanye song kicking in as soon as the credits hit. That shit will sound whack on my 7.1 at Home. Y’all.
