Safe Spaces

Some of my favorite films are the ones that don't have much ostensible plot movement at first glance. I like films where characters just meander aimlessly as they work through certain social issues, or reevaluate their place in their own lives, and really, that's what this film is all about. It's about taking a temperature reading in the current political climate and deciding if it's time to make a meaningful and purposeful change in the way we live our lives. Josh (Justin Long, "Drag Me to Hell") is not a bad guy, though he does has his issues; he's a bit self-centered, he thinks he can fix everyone's problems for them and attempts to do so, and sometimes he just won't shut up enough for other people to get a word in. At the same time, Josh is trying. He makes a honest effort to connect with his family as his grandmother lies dying in the hospital, even going out of his way multiple times to try to convince his father (Richard Schiff, "Seven") to visit her, though his relationship with her over the last years has been strained (Grandma is mom's mom and the parents are divorced). Through these sequences we begin to get a sense of who Josh is and what he truly believes, and we also get passing interactions with minor characters that gently play on the import and sometimes uncomfortable social issues and how he as a white, straight, cisgender male plays into those issues. He approaches certain situations with as much gravitas as he can, but in the end, sometimes, he just finds himself at a loss for what to do. Many of the situations Josh finds himself in don't seem to really have an obvious answer as to what truly is 'The Right Thing' to do, and when he feels at a loss he feels as if he needs to fix it, when, in the end, all he really needs to do is listen, understand, and try to sympathize with the people he may have inadvertently hurt or offended. Beyond making a few important points, this film is also really funny. The theater in which I saw this movie was mostly full, and the crowd seemed to absolutely eat the humor up. Most of the jokes arises from uncomfortable or awkward situations, but there are plenty of great character chemistry moments, one liners, jokes that were previously set up and executed flawlessly, and though many of the jokes revolve around hot issues, none of it ever feels forced, crass, or ill-conceived; it feels real and honest. I think the reason I enjoyed this film so much is that it doesn't really claim to have any answers. It just asks that you open your ears and mind to the changing climate, and shut up for a while, at least long enough to hear the other voices and opinions around you. Overall, "Safe Spaces" was a very enjoyable, very 'woke' comedy that feels right at home in 2019.

An interesting look at the intersection of millennial culture and academia. Justin Long and his character's family are an interesting study.

Saw it on a plane, so I couldn't watch until the very end... But it was painful to watch because all of the characters were SO annoyingly over sensitive and victim-like. I predict it will become a cult classic with time (as did 'Idiocracy' have a resurgence when Trump was elected) and will be viewed with affection as it depicts a time before EVERYONE lost their minds to the tyranny of left-wing liberal political agendas...

There is a good story here. How a family pulls together during a trying time, despite their differences, conflicts and foibles to love and care for each other. There is nonsense here that I fear may be an all too real ultra sensitivity that pervades liberal campuses. While the traumatic difficulties that one may face in their youth may be regrettable, there is no way that the Jennifer Mann character will be able to function in real life if she thinks she can live in a bubble of protection from someone hurting her delicate sensitivities. In some ways this is a powerful contrasts. There is family where there is acceptable and strengthening of backbone and character by the sibling rivalries that persist. Without realizing it, perhaps this movie is a meaningful criticism of the politically correct culture that weakens our fiber and a call to family to strengthen it. Put the challenges Agatha and her story of escaping Nazi Germany, learning a new language and a new life, and facing death and the strength she showed in contrast with the "triggered" response of students seemingly can't deal with the simple realities of seeing another person feel bad to the point of threatening a professor's job. A normal human being would simply experience the class, discount the remarks that the professor made, perhaps utter a "meh" and go one with their own life. The contrast of Agatha to the youth of today is damning.

This is a great comedy that reminds a little bit of standup comedy. The scenes would be hard to do in standup because they involve a setup with circumstances and other characters - but it resembles standup in that each scene and the dialogue almost completely make up the substance and humor of the film. You have a well-intentioned millennial named Josh played by Justin Long who despite his best efforts simply cannot avoid putting his foot in his mouth. A large part of the humor deals with overly-sensitive and politically correct people, who Josh simply cannot avoid enraging - this comes out through taboo topics like sexual abuse, overly protected children, sexual philandering, and death. It's just hilarious to watch each scene spiral out of control with Josh coming out with mud on his face looking like the aggressor or bad guy, even though his intentions are good. He tries so hard to deal with each situation but just falls on his face and can never say the right thing, even when nearly one else has no problem doing so. So this dynamic is the setup for comedy; a series of blunders. I can see it compared to Woody Allen, mainly in Josh's hasty dialogue and frantic, victim mentality. But it's a little different, probably more like Amy Schumer - this is a little more of satire with dark, awkward, and deadpan humor. Josh has no redeeming qualities to speak of whereas Woody Allen's early characters seemed to be more cunning and find a way out on top. You won't get much of a story but if you like this type of humor you will be laughing out loud.