Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)'s comments

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Armoreska

Sci-fi not guaranteed

10 years 7 months ago

A delightful, unexpected treat that finds a new angle on the very well-trodden ground of the quirky indie romantic comedy adding a witty time travel element that works wonderfully as an extended metaphor on love, loss and second chances in life. The solid and funny script, confident direction and terrific performances from the entire cast really raise it above the crowd.

Every character is lovingly crafted and gets their chance to shine: Aubrey Plaza gives a lovely break-out performance as stony-faced loner Darius who takes on a magazine internship and while investigating a potential crank classified ad is swept up in the strangeness of the adventure, believably softening and blossoming as she invests in Kenneth, the would-be time traveller. Mark Duplass also convinces as the similarly lonely, charmingly serious subject matter of her article - he manages a fine line skillfully; variously convincing Darius, and us, that he could either be a lunatic or genius at any given moment. Jake Johnson's abrasive, self-absorbed lead journo Jeff provides most of the laughs but also ends up providing the most touching character development in the film. Mention must also go to Karan Soni's delightfully nerdy Arnau who has his own journey of self discovery.

When the quirkier and sillier aspects of the plot calm down you are left with characters you've come to care a great deal about and their journey, into the past or just with each other, is one you've invested in. The marvellous overriding message of the film seems to be it doesn't matter how or why you travel, but who you choose to travel with. A real gem.

11 years 3 months ago

nowhereman136

A nice enough indie dramedy. The acting is fine and is written well enough to not be predictable.

11 years 5 months ago

mandapuspi

Alternative title: Seeking A Friend for Going Back In Time

11 years 5 months ago

Siskoid

I've seen a lot of time travel movies, but never one like Safety Not Guaranteed, where the motivations behind time travel are more important than the going back in time itself. A slacking magazine journalist (Jake Johnson) and a couple of restless interns (including Parks&Recs' Aubrey Plaza) follow up on a strange classified ad written by someone (Mark Duplass) looking for a partner to go back in time with. What follows is a touching dramady about regret and connecting with the future. Is the time travel element real? Does it work as a paradox puzzle movie like the best time travel movies do? I'm not telling. I'll only say that whatever the answer is, it's secondary to the human drama, AND I was satisfied as an fan of quirky genre-ish films.

8 years 10 months ago

MentallyHysteric

Sweet little movie that leaves you with a smile on your face.

10 years 10 months ago

tomsalad

My kind of film! I can't get rid of this big grin on my face after watching this.

11 years 6 months ago

dreiser

The ending was perfect.

11 years 10 months ago

jhhayes

A very pleasant surprise. Enjoyed every minute if it.

8 years 11 months ago

dorkusmalorkus

Another comment compared this film to "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World", and the comparison is very apt. Both are sweet, genuine, and just a little off-kilter. A rom-com for people who usually roll their eyes at rom-coms (believe me, I'm one of them). If you like "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World", I feel it's safe to say you'll like this too (and vice versa).

Overall, well worth a watch. :)

9 years 8 months ago