Safety Not Guaranteed - Movie Review

I’m not even sure how to approach my review for this film. It was so special and wonderful, yet in such small nuanced ways that I don’t want to oversell it.

The trailer explains it pretty well. A guy places a classified ad looking for a time traveling partner. The ad is made odder by the fact that it says he’s done this once before. The ad is seen by Jeff (Jake M. Johnson), a journalist at Seattle Magazine. He decides this would make a great and humorous story and gets sent on assignment and is allowed to take two interns with him.

Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni) are the unwitting interns. Jeff’s motives are not quite what he leads the interns to believe and the guy who placed the ad, is not quite as easy to profile as initially thought.

I really don’t want to say too much more than that as far as plot goes. Fresh off New Girl and the best season yet of Parks and Recreation, it’s great to see Johnson and Plaza showing their range outside of the confines of television. On the surface, you would think a personality like Aubrey Plaza’s could not possible carry a female lead, but carry it she does. She’s like a modern day Charles Grodin. She’s so deliciously deadpan, it’s easy to dismiss what she’s doing and fail to realize how wonderful her performance is.

I saw shades of Repo Man in this film, but it didn’t have the same anger behind it. There was this constant innocence and sweetness to the film that touch me deeply. Maybe I’m wrong, but I felt like I was feeling it more than everyone else in the theater. I felt a vibe like most of the people there found it weird and awkward. Certain scenes made me want to jump out my seat. I wanted to cheer and I did cry. I balled like a baby. On the way home I choked back tears three more times. All I can think is how much I want to see this film again.

So, I think some of you will see this film and love it like I did. If you do, I hope you come back here so we can chat. I think others will see it and think, “That Colleenie is insane?” It has to tap something very deep inside you and that’s different for everyone. I don’t see this being a film with large appeal, but those who do connect will love it fervently.

I hope it wins a wheel barrow full of Independent Spirit Awards. I freakin’ loved it!