Safety Not Guaranteed

"Safety Not Guaranteed" is based on an actual classified ad placed in a magazine, looking for someone to go back in time with. The real ad was just a joke for last-minute content. The movie, though, wonders what if it wasn't a joke. One young writer and two young interns are assigned to the story to figure out who is behind the ad, and how crazy he is.

Darius (Aubrey Plaza) is a sarcastic, defensive lost soul and appears to have at least some kind of genuine interest in the story. Jeff (Jake M. Johnson) is the staff-writer taking the lead but his only interest in the story is that he gets to go to the town where his high school crush lives. Arnau (Karan Soni) is tagging along because he does whatever will look good on his resume. The guy they are hunting down is Kenneth (Mark Duplass) and he truly believes that he is building a time machine. Darius forms an immediate connection with the guy and wants to help him with his adventure. Jeff immediately pegs him as a lunatic, so that just means he has more time to go skirt-chasing.

These are good characters, better written than what you would expect to find in a simple comedy. Each have their reasons for being there; each have a time they want to get back to; and each have something they want to experience. They also appear to be responsible in determining how much you will enjoy this movie. The rave reviews and the standing ovation reports coming out of Sundance all mention how much the characters echo their own lives. As if the writer has found the true essence of being a human being. However, there are people, me included, who don't actually connect to any of the characters but still found their plights and misadventures amusing.

This is a well written film, as most successful indies are. It thrives on witty lines and its ability to fully explore each of the characters. The first point makes it a comedy but the second point, the main one, makes it a drama so be prepared for a more thoughtful journey than just a laugh riot.

It is fairly original, especially with the much talked about ending, but I personally found that the low-budget indie "Juko's Time Machine" (2011) handled a similar concept in a much more ingenious way. "Safety Not Guaranteed" added fresh spins to basic concepts and was funny and entertaining throughout, just be careful with some of the comparisons it's getting.

This movie has an authentic vibe but is at the same time a very sweet movie, that honors the nonconformist and weird. A romantic comedy of sorts, but quite quirky and original, it is one indie gem. Not easily forgotten, great fun that will leave you uplifted and optimistic, a movie filled with authentic positive energy - truly recommended.

Very slow, but its worth it. Great ending, but the last words of the ending could have been better. These two things helped bring the film down a couple notches. Plus it also didn't stay true to the ad in the paper, which had inspired this story-line. Add in a small plot hole near the end, and a 9 of 10 movie becomes a 7 of 10. But they can be forgiven for these small sins. You've got to give credit to the producers who made this on a 4 thousand dollar budget, and made 4 million out of it. Who am I to nit-pick that kind of success? It's these kind of shoestring budget movies, few as they are in this quality, that makes Hollywood look like an idiots playground. Even with its problems, its well worth the watch, based upon the total package of being a sci-fi love story that works. This came out in 2012, near the same time as "The Adjustment Bureau" film. Sadly, these two didn't start a trend. Like all good films, it makes you think, after the final credits roll. I myself have always said, that regrets are for people with time machines. After all, we were who we were back then. But I'm also a sucker for a good film, or even just a good love story, that tries to answer those regrets.

When a man puts a classified ad in the newspaper asking for a companion to time travel with him, a magazine writer and two interns go find him to find out his story. Aubrey Plaza plays Darius, one of the interns who at first seems pretty disinterested in the whole situation, ends up being the one who has to pretend like she wants to time travel. She expects to be working with a total nutjob, completely off his rocker, but instead she finds that Kenneth, the man who put the ad in the paper, is actually an incredible insightful, sweet, and softhearted person and that time traveling is more a facade for finding yourself and it's more of a metaphor for fixing old mistakes. It's a surprisingly touching film that has a lot more to offer than one might have expected.

Great dramadies are few and far between these days. They are usually too unfocused, can't find that perfect balance between comedy and drama, and try too hard to be profound when it comes to taking a look at the human condition. Safety Not Guaranteed finds a way past all these things. It has a clear and poignant focus that drives a heartfelt and oddly moving story. It's a great blend of comedy and drama as it tells a great story on a very human level, but also delivers its own pleasant brand of comedy. It's more clever comedy than laugh out loud comedy, but it fits just right for what this movie is trying to accomplish.

Safety Not Guaranteed could have easily been a sham and it could have gone too far overboard on its profundities. Instead, the excellent script keeps itself at bay and manages to tell a story that is more sincere than one would expect and feels more real than a dramady that is trying to be the most realistic of human stories. There's nothing here that will floor you or blow you out of the water, but it truly is a lovely and heartwarming story.

Normally feel good movies aren't my thing, but Safety Not Guaranteed is sincere enough and of a quality that makes it an absolute joy to watch. That being said, I don't know that I'd watch it again, and I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it's great for one viewing and it's an hour and a half well spent. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with a heart.

I just love really solid indie films, and this is one great example of that. Funny, sincere, dramatic all wrapped up very nicely. Great cast! It's a solid must watch for me.