Director: Daniel Espinosa
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Patrick, Fares Fares
Running time: 115 minutes
Certificate: 15
Synopsis: Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a CIA rookie housekeeper, desperate to prove himself. When Tobin Frost, notorious rogue agent, shows up at his safe house, he finds himself with the perfect opportunity to do so. But things are never as easy as they seem, and an assault by a band of mercenaries turns into an all-out chase across South Africa…
SAFE HOUSE is an action thriller, starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, and lots and lots of explosions. This should probably tell you all you need to know about it. No? Read on…
The film’s premise is simple: an ex-CIA agent turned international war criminal lays his hands on a series of secret files, which detail the illegal goings-on of several global peacekeeping agencies. This makes him a target of both mercenaries and governments alike, and so the only logical thing to do is surrender to the CIA. Obviously.
That war criminal is Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), and his plan isn’t as daft as it sounds. Being an ex-CIA agent, he knows exactly what will happen when he surrenders to an American Embassy in South Africa – he’s taken to a safe house, where said mercenaries shouldn’t be able to get to him. Of course, they do, and from there SAFE HOUSE turns into something of a chase movie, spiced with elements of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN-style trickery from Frost, as he attempts to escape from the clutches of CIA ‘housekeeper’ Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds).
Being an action thriller, perhaps it’s too much to expect SAFE HOUSE to have a particularly intelligent plot. That’s not to say it isn’t a somewhat capable screenplay; it suits its purpose, isn’t full of plot holes and wraps up in a neat climax. But the initial motives of Frost seem confused, and it takes a while to really get to the nuts and bolts of the story. When things do take off, be prepared to hit a few walls on the way, as events bounce back and forth, with Frost and Weston seemingly forever going round in circles until the TAXI DRIVER-esque final set piece.
Daniel Espinosa directs – a somewhat unknown figure, whose previous credits include short film THE FIGHTER (2003) and Swedish flick EASY MONEY (2010). If SAFE HOUSE is anything to go by, perhaps his CV will fill up quite quickly – this is stylish stuff, and while the plot might have a few misgivings, some intelligent directorial choices make up for it. The hazy sunsets and golden dawns of Cape Town have never looked so simultaneously powerful and effortless; the action is never too confused by fast-paced cameras, a la one Michael Bay (whose action ‘standard’ most films seem to be judged by nowadays, albeit positively against the general negative reception of Bay’s over-the-top antics).
Denzel is the star of the show, naturally, giving a sublime, effortless performance. Other highlights include Brendan Gleeson as David Barlow, Weston’s mentor, and Fares Fares as top merc Vargas. Reynolds, on the other hand, is disappointing – he never quite convinces, and seems more than a little out of place here in the ‘young upstart trying to prove himself’ role.
SAFE HOUSE shows promise for its director, though none for its youngest cast member; instead, it’s a vehicle for the talents of Denzel Washington, and a stylish one at that. Is it worth a watch? Yes, but it’s not a film you’re likely to revisit.
SAFE HOUSE is released in UK cinemas on 24th February 2012.
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