Now, there are three movies that I watched for the first time in 2012 that I liked so much that I immediately decided I should buy when the opportunity came: 'The Lonely Guy' of 1984, 'Fish Story' of 2009 and 'Safety Not Guaranteed' of 2012. That last one I haven't written about until now. It's a largely unknown little gem of an independent movie that has captured me by a net of many little ways. It's opening to some kind of release here in the UK apparently so I'll try not to spoil it with details and encourage people to go see it if they are lucky enough to have a screen near them! It's a sweet movie, good and solid, and it features a zither.
Down in the film's story, a Seattle magazine intern called Darius and her two colleagues go to a small town to investigate the person who put the following small ad in a newspaper:
"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before."
Darius is played by the super-cute Aubrey Plaza who appears in 'Parks and Recreation', and in whom I've had a minor league crush, secure in the knowledge that I'll never have to beat it over the head with reality. I mention that simply to explain any bias that may be apparent. Plaza does well, playing her usual offbeat self, and not leaning into any attempts at heavy acting. It would be interesting to see how her acting demeanour differentiates from what she puts forward as a standup. I imagine it's not too different. Oh, and of course she's lovely in her own unique way, says the bias leaning on my shoulder.
Darius's associates Jeff and Arnau have their own subplots, mainly based on Jeff's quest to meet a long lost flame and impress upon the youthful Arnau the importance of acting young while you are still young. They have a very touching little story but the horrifically foul mouth of Jeff really put me off, which I know is a personal problem rather than a film problem, although as he's practically the only swearer in the movie he really breaks the tone. Perhaps that IS a film problem. Comment below if you have an opinion!
The key to enjoying this movie is holding the idea of a fable in your mind, especially as you approach the finale. In a tiny budget time travel movie you will make compromises. and the time machine here is no exception but I love it. No one knows what a time machine will look like, so why not like this? Seriously? And what does time travel look like? We don't know. Rather this than what they do in 'Looper', where it looks like nothing at all.
Pulling it all together, I will recommend 'Safety Not Guaranteed', and not just because I like Aubrey Plaza. There's something charming about it, a sense of fun that pops up so rarely and should always be savoured. The ending is actually, literally, lovely in an understated fashion and unusually fantastic. On the negative side we have some plot implausibilities, Jeff's lonely arc of melancholy, and some blue sky acting which I personally like. If you tend not to buy into sappy finales then this may not be the film for you but if you can... then watch 'Safety Not Guaranteed'. People can argue that it's not a great movie, but personally I like it very much.
Oh, and I'll say again: There is a zither! That's only my second zither encounter after the music for 'The Third Man'. And Aubrey Plaza does her thing. Sweet but lethal.
O.
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