Surprise Approval

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There's nothing in Daniel Espinosa's Safe House (Universal, 2.10) that you haven't seen many times before. Set in South Africa, it's a cookie-cutter Bournedoggle about a CIA rogue-on-the-run (Denzel Washington) and a safe-house operative (Ryan Reynolds) who's trying to keep him in cuffs. It's shot like the Bourne series (hand-held, grainy photography, jazzy cutting), and Washington-Reynolds do a decent job with all the hand-to-hand combat and gunplay and car madness.

But...BUT!...I never felt bored or burned because the Swedish-born Espinosa, 34, really knows how to shoot and stage action like Tony Scott or Paul Greengrass. Or at least he knows how to work well with cinematographer Oliver Wood, who shot all three Bourne films. Espinosa seems to get the rules of this realm and understand a thing or two about thrillers (his 2010 film Easy Money was a huge Swedish hit), and he earns points for keeping the Bourne shakey-cam aesthetic on a leash.

And there's certainly a comfort factor in watching a film that's been made by someone who's obviously more skilled than your average DGA clock-puncher. The very beginning, for instance, focuses on domestic small-talk dialogue between Reynolds and his French live-in girlfriend (Nora Arnezeder). It's just a typical set-up scene, but Espinosa shoots in such a way that keeps you attuned and intrigued. He doesn't frame or cut anything in rote fashion.

So even though it's the usual razmatazz, you could do worse than see Safe House this weekend. I've seen the same chops and plot points used 18 or 89 times before (I've lost count) and the script delivers almost nothing original but I'm a sucker for well-engineered shooting and cutting. Go ahead, call me shallow. Guilty.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 9, 2012 at 1:39 PM

comment #1

LexG says ...

This is the most excited I've been about a movie since EYES WIDE SHUT.

Posted by LexG at February 9, 2012 2:43 PM

comment #2

Kakihara says ...

It's apparently bombing on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a shame, because I really wanted to see it more than The Grey. I might matinee Safe House now, though.

Posted by Kakihara at February 9, 2012 2:45 PM

comment #3

LexG says ...

And why would it be a SURPRISE?

It's the BEST KIND OF MOVIE IN THE WORLD (SURVEILLANCE, GUNS, CARS, LATINOS WITH STUBBLE AND SUNGLASSES, GUNFIRE, HELICOPTERS, GRAIN, BLUE LIGHTING, HOT CHICKS, etc); THIS is what all movies should be.

Fortunately for me and Actionman, THIS is what EVERY SINGLE UNIVERSAL RELEASE looks like the last few years.

Posted by LexG at February 9, 2012 2:46 PM

comment #4

LexG says ...

Kakihara, you don't like ANY MOVIES so why do you bother? You know you're gonna hate everything in the fucking world except ARRIETY, so stay the fuck home... you don't like movies, you shouldn't go to them.

God are you WEIRD.

Posted by LexG at February 9, 2012 2:47 PM

comment #5

Eloi Wrath says ...

One benefit of more of a global outlook in Hollywood is that they're starting to import some of the cool European genre directors, instead of handing over projects like this to Rob Cohen or whoever. You've got the Contraband guy, this Espinosa guy, and whatshisface from Tinker Tailor who have all had decent Hollywood debuts in the last few months.

Posted by Eloi Wrath at February 9, 2012 2:52 PM

comment #6

LexG says ...

And I think a fundamental problem is most film critics DON'T WANT TO KILL PEOPLE, don't want to SHOOT GUNS and get in CAR CHASES and FUCK MODELS, with guns and COKE and AVIATOR GLASSES, with SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FOOTAGE and TIMESTAMPS and jagged angles and SCARY BLACK GUYS while 99 PROBLEMS plays and the black man is shot in that POST-BAY sheen where the skin looks SUPER BLACK and they play SWAMI RIFFS over shots of teeming cities with SCARY FOREIGNERS with AVIATOR GLASSES and CEILING FANS and GUNSHOTS RINGING OUT and PLACED SUBTITLES zooming all over the screen.

It's the most exciting shit in the world to a rage case depressed motherfucker who the most exciting thing he's ever done is go double turkey at Subway. I don't get the sense many if ANY film critics WANT to LIVE IN THE BAY WORLD, want to live in a TONY SCOTT MOVIE in a WHITE T SHIRT with TONED WOMEN fucking you and fucking black guys while JAY Z MUSIC comes on and EVERYONE IS GOOD LOOKING AND AWESOME AND THERE'S SHINY GUNS BIG GUNS .45 GUNS AND PEOPLE KILLING EACH OTHER.

VIOLENCE IN MOVIES FUCKING RULES, shooting rules, SQUACK RULES, GUNFIRE RULES, SURVEILLANCE RULES, THE MILITARY FUCKING RUUUUUUUUUUUUUULES, and ALL these movies are in 2.35 AND HAVE GRAIN AND BLUE BLUE BLUE BLUE LIGHTING GUNS AND KILLING.

Hey WELLS you THOUSANDAIRE MOTHERFUCKER with the BIG HOLLYWOOD CONNECTIONS, if you're so PLUGGED IN, get me a prostitute.

DO IT WELLS DO IT.

Posted by LexG at February 9, 2012 2:54 PM

comment #7

Rashad says ...

Eloi: Alfredson has yet to make a Hollywood film.

Posted by Rashad at February 9, 2012 3:10 PM

comment #8

Eloi Wrath says ...

Isn't Working Title just Universal in Britain? They're basically Hollywood.

Posted by Eloi Wrath at February 9, 2012 3:14 PM

comment #9

Kristopher Tapley says ...

Look, I actually like stuff like "Spy Game" and "Unstoppable," but when are you gonna stop pretending that Tony Scott has made a quality movie since "Crimson Tide?"

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at February 9, 2012 3:14 PM

comment #10

AnnaZed says ...

They had me at Denzel, but I'm up for this in a totally Lex kinda way.

I love this kinda stuff and even with three films there still wasn't enough Bourne for me. I'll take this over the Renner thing for now. For reasons that I totally recognize are irrational and maybe even bizarre I've been cooling on him ever since it was revealed that in real-life he was complete pussy who sneaked out of the back door of the hand-made axe Philippine bar fight thing leaving his friend behind.

Posted by AnnaZed at February 9, 2012 3:21 PM

comment #11

Jeffrey Wells says ...

Crimson Tide is certainly one of the best written Tony Scott films ever, but Man on Fire was brilliant for what it was, I thought, and I loved, loved, loved The Taking of Pelham 123. Love that Travolta-Denzel-Gandolfini-Turturro. I actually thought Unstoppable could have been better.

Hackman: "You were right and I was wrong..."
(beat, beat beat)
"About the horses. The Lippizanners. They're from Spain, not Portugal."

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at February 9, 2012 3:23 PM

comment #12

BoulderKid says ...

"Man on Fire" is pretty great. I always found Scott's involvement both a detriment and advantage at the same time. His style is too out there at times, but its hard to imagine someone letting the story breath for that first hour before Fanning gets kidnapped. You know if Antoine Fuqua or F. Gary Gray had directed it they would have lopped out two thirds of that stuff.

I've been partial to pretty much everything Scott has ever done. Surprisingly I've been coldest on the two train films he's done recently, Pehlam and Unstoppable.

Fun Fact: Denzel has starred in 5 of Scott's last 9 films and 4 out of the last 5.

Posted by BoulderKid at February 9, 2012 3:49 PM

comment #13

Indeed says ...

"And I think a fundamental problem is most film critics DON'T WANT TO KILL PEOPLE, don't want to SHOOT GUNS and get in CAR CHASES and FUCK MODELS, with guns and COKE and AVIATOR GLASSES, with SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FOOTAGE and TIMESTAMPS and jagged angles and SCARY BLACK GUYS while 99 PROBLEMS plays and the black man is shot in that POST-BAY sheen where the skin looks SUPER BLACK and they play SWAMI RIFFS over shots of teeming cities with SCARY FOREIGNERS with AVIATOR GLASSES and CEILING FANS and GUNSHOTS RINGING OUT and PLACED SUBTITLES zooming all over the screen."

Best. Paragraph. Ever.

Posted by Indeed at February 9, 2012 4:02 PM

comment #14

Jack Walsh says ...

Like almost every Tony Scott film of the last ten years, Man on Fire is an overheated, overdirected mess. Which is amazing, considering how bare bones the story is. Washington's career is very similar to Gene Hackman's: a phenomenal actor coasting through genre fluff (Pelham, Unstoppable, Narrow Margin, Enemy of the State - all interchangeable) while every now and again tossing us a reminder of why they're bad ass (Training Day, Courage Under Fire, Unforgiven, Tennenbaums).

Posted by Jack Walsh at February 9, 2012 4:34 PM

comment #15

Ray says ...

"It's apparently bombing on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a shame, because I really wanted to see it more than The Grey. "

Obligatory: DZ you're an idiot. Go see The Grey. You'll like it if you have short hairs. If you don't, then you don't.

Posted by Ray at February 9, 2012 6:07 PM

comment #16

Ray says ...

MAN ON FIRE is a great movie ABSOLUTELY RUINED by the survival of Dakota Fanning.

A perfectly awesome revenge fantasy got thrown out the window for a typical Hollywood happy ending.

You know what would have been awesome? Denzel sees Fanning running towards him at the end AND THEN SHOOTS HER.

Why? BECAUSE HE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT KILLING SHIT FOR NOTHING.

Plus it'd be funny watching that annoying little shit get shot. STOP CRYING YOU LITTLE SHIT.

Posted by Ray at February 9, 2012 6:10 PM

comment #17

actionman says ...

Safe House looks sick. As usual, I'm with Lex.

Posted by actionman at February 9, 2012 6:22 PM

comment #18

mybrainismelting says ...

"...stage action like Greengrass..."

Just guaranteed I will pass on Safe House.

Posted by mybrainismelting at February 9, 2012 6:38 PM

comment #19

Alexander says ...

Just about exactly what I was thinking, mybrainismelting.

Posted by Alexander at February 9, 2012 7:45 PM

comment #20

Jack Razor says ...

So this is NOT a Tony Scott movie?

Posted by Jack Razor at February 9, 2012 9:51 PM

comment #21

Markj74 says ...

Kris Tapley likes Spy Game and Unstoppable? Now I understand why he thinks Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is better than Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Best Tony Scott movies: Revenge, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance.

Posted by Markj74 at February 10, 2012 12:49 AM

comment #22

Floyd Thursby says ...

Here's the best Tony Scott film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qQvXawnmjk

Just watched it yesterday for the 20th time.

Posted by Floyd Thursby at February 10, 2012 4:19 AM

comment #23

Alboone says ...

That's all fine and dandy but would you pay $13 to see this? Or even $7?

Posted by Alboone at February 10, 2012 5:39 AM

comment #24

LexG says ...

Anyone who doesn't like movies like this, you're a FUCKING ASSHOLE and I hope your wives are raped. God you're a piece of HUMAN GARBAGE if you don't get psyched for Denzel action movies.

Posted by LexG at February 10, 2012 7:54 AM

comment #25

Kristopher Tapley says ...

"Kris Tapley likes Spy Game and Unstoppable? Now I understand why he thinks Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is better than Raiders of the Lost Ark."

I mentioned them as lowest-common-denominator stuff that I actually enjoy as a way of TRYING to understand why anyone would praise what he's done over the last decade and a half.

Douche bag.

(Also, never said Temple was "better." Just that I enjoy it more because I grew up on it more than "Raiders.")

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at February 10, 2012 8:34 AM

comment #26

Floyd Thursby says ...

Looking at Scott's credits, I notice that I've seen 14 of his feature films. I found something to like about each: would rank True Romance first and Top Gun last. He's very underrated and may one day be reexamined just as the genre directors of 1930-1960 have been. Seriously.

Posted by Floyd Thursby at February 10, 2012 10:01 AM

comment #27

LexG says ...

Eh, this was okay. I mean, it was awesome and up my alley and looked EXACTLY like I like movies to like; I'd go thumbs up on it for sure, loved the style and thought Reynolds was in good form... Denzel could've done this in his sleep; I don't know, something ever been SO in your wheelhouse it feels too familiar? I mean, this movie was bioengineered for the likes of me and Actionman, and that's just it-- you could tick off everything about it if you've seen the 3 Bournes, Vantage Point, Green Zone, Smokin' Aces, Killer Elite 2011... The action scenes are punchy and it's a fun movie... I wouldn't say it's any kind of total knockout.

Posted by LexG at February 10, 2012 12:03 PM

comment #28