Safelight

Don't be fooled by one of the most awe full movie posters I have ever seen. Safelight is a cute little story of two underdogs who find common ground. It is carried by Juno Temple and Evan Peters who rightfully so went on two do bigger things. Christine Lathi also gives a good performance. Only the character of Skid totally feels out of place and isn't really needed. You will get some nice scenery and two young actors that even back then showed a lot of promise.

A slice of life indie-drama about a teenage boy (Evan Peters) with a slightly dysfunctional leg, they call him cripple in the movie but I think that's borderline slur so yeah I'll just put it like that instead, seems to work fine otherwise just walks a bit crookedly.

Anyway he befriends a teenage girl who's a prostitute (Juno Temple) and yeah that's what the movie is about more or less.

The plot summary here on IMDb make it sound more like a road-trip movie than it actually is, I mean there is a roadtrip but it's not substantial to the story so if you're expecting a typical get up to crazy things in new towns type of road movies you might be a bit disappointed.

Writing could have been a little sharper but Temple and Peters are both as always good and make it worthwhile still.

It's speaks about underdogs, and for that it's a different voice film. It also has some beautiful and thoughtful frames. I think there's a hole intention behind it, I like it.

One of indie films about life. as confession. family, friendship, solitude, love and hate. from an indefine period, using a simple story and good actors, not giving too much explanations and proposing individual drama of two young people in atmosphere of desert. nothing new, off course. because, it is the sort of film who could be significant only if has the chance to connect with the memories, experences of the viewer. if not, it is just a dusty story, with metaphors, a poor girl and a poor boy and Christine Lahti doing a good job. but the film deserves attention. not for originality. but for the status of testimony about few basic traits of humankind. like each indie film.

And no light!

Nowhere in the movie do you see a lighthouse at night with it's light on. The lighthouse light is a warning, a guide, for the seafarer to keep the ship safe. So what's with the name? The movie should have been titled "Lighthouse" because that's where Charles & Viki felt safe during the day. At night it was back to being the solo truck stop hooker for her and store stock boy for him and dealing with the local thugs and her crazy pimp.

Why did Juno Temple do this part? Why did she appear in this flick? She is Juno Temple and this role is beneath her talents and she looked like she knew it. Her role is lifeless as Viki, Evan Peters is lifeless as Charles, and Skid (the pimp character) is more a demon possessed clown, than a mean tough guy.

And to top it off, suddenly the story ends. I didn't get it.