The Safe House
demahartThe Safe House
http://urllio.com/r20jjMatt Weston (<a href=">Ryan Reynolds) is a CIA rookie who is manning a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, when Tobin Frost (<a href=">Denzel Washington) the CIA's most wanted rogue agent is captured and taken to the safe house. During Frost's interrogation, the safe house is overtaken by mercenaries who want Frost. Weston and Frost escape and must stay out of the gunmen's sight until they can get to another safe house.
Tobin Frost is a CIA agent who's believed to have turned rogue, is in Capetown, South Africa. When he is pursued by men who want to kill him, he goes to the American Consulate where he knows he will be arrested. When the CIA learns of this, it's decided to bring him to a safe house in Capetown, where they will interrogate him. Shortly after they arrive, the men who chased Frost storm the safe house and kill everyone there. Matt Weston, the agent who's tasked with looking after the safe house, is the only one left, so he takes Frost and they go on the run. While on the run, Frost tells Weston that the only way those men found the safe house was that someone (on the inside) told them about it. Eventually Frost escapes and Weston is told to report to Langley but just as he's about to go there, he recalls something that Frost did that helps him figure out where he could be going. But just as he arrives, the men who are after Frost show up but Weston saves him and they head off. But Weston knows that Frost is holding something back.
www.mooviepedia.com<br/><br/>Safe House is sure to please those seeking an entertaining action film in the vein of the Bourne series. It is solidly crafted, with a fast pace, expertly staged action sequences, and compelling performances from Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in the lead roles. What it lacks, however, is anything to distinguish itself from the seemingly dozens of other recent entries in the spy genre, and more discerning action fans will likely find the film to be a bit of an empty experience once the spectacle has worn off.<br/><br/>The plot centers on rogue CIA operative Tobin Frost (Washington), who has spent the last decade selling US intelligence secrets to the highest bidder. When he is finally captured in Cape Town, South Africa, he is transported to a quiet safe house run by inexperienced agent Matt Weston (Reynolds). Before Frost can be fully debriefed and interrogated, the safe house is overrun by heavily armed thugs intent on capturing Frost and killing anyone who gets in their way. What follows is essentially a ninety-minute game of cat and mouse, as Weston tries to get Frost to another safe house before their pursuers catch up to them. The premise is far from original, but such an obstacle hasn't stopped other recent films from finding a fresh way to tackle the material (last year's thematically and stylistically shrewd Hanna comes to mind). However, screenwriter David Guggenheim seems content with Safe House's bland setup, and rather than infuse the script with depth or even genuinely surprising plot turns, he uses the story beats as excuses to set up the next big action scene.<br/><br/>Of course, many greatly enjoyable action films have taken a similar approach, but they usually don't pretend to be much more than showcases for gunfights and car chases. Guggenheim, on the other hand, seems to be reaching for something a little deeper, even though he fails to find it. Tobin Frost is a character designed to encapsulate Guggenheim's criticisms of the CIA's shadowy practices. This much is evidenced during several monologues (which, to his credit, Washington delivers well) in which Frost slowly reveals to Weston why he betrayed his country. His motivations essentially boil down to the fact that the CIA lies to its operatives and isn't above killing to protect the reputations of its highest-ranking officials. These ideas have been explored so much more astutely in countless other movies and TV shows that Safe House seems imbecilic by comparison. The arguments Guggenheim presents are overly broad and not given enough attention, so Frost's speeches end up becoming mere filler in between action scenes.<br/><br/>Although Safe House fails as a critique of modern American espionage practices, it still wholly succeeds as an action movie. In his first Hollywood film, Daniel Espinosa admirably creates loud, intense action sequences that have a palpable sense of immediacy. The shooting style he adopts most emulates that of Paul Greengrass, with the combination of urban shootouts and hand-to-hand combat playing out like blend of Greengrass's Bourne films and his Iraq War thriller Green Zone. Whether it is the white-knuckle close quarters gun battle in the initial safe house attack or a foot chase through a shantytown, Espinosa keeps his camera moving but also allows the action to remain discernible. Those who hate the recent shaky camera trend in action movies (myself included) will find it put to surprisingly effective use here.<br/><br/>Despite the glaring script problems, Safe House is still a solid action/spy thriller. I suspect that most audiences won't even notice the thematic issues and will like the movie a lot more than I did. The action scenes have a "wow" factor that is guaranteed to win over action fans, and Washington and Reynolds overcome the script's shortcomings enough to sell both the action and drama in near-equal measure. I certainly recommend the movie for its entertainment value, albeit with the caveat that it provides nothing below the surface; the visceral action makes for a two-hour thrill ride, but once the excitement fades from memory, so does the movie itself.<br/><br/>3.5 out of 5
Filled with unexpected events, Safe House is an amazing movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The main actors, Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, the outstanding set, the theme and the intricately woven plot all add to this suspense-filled movie. While some elements of the movie are somewhat outrageous and extremely unrealistic, Safe House is successful in its purpose to entertain the audience because the character development is dominant over the special effects and overrides all of the fancy stunts.<br/><br/>Both of the main characters, Washington and Reynolds were both brilliant in their roles and definitely made this movie. If it were not for these two actors, the movie would not be half of what it turned out to be. Washington plays an ex CIA agent, Tobin Frost, who went against the CIA and tried to sell top-secret information of the CIA. Reynolds plays a new CIA agent, Matt Weston, who is working at a safe house in South Africa and trying to climb the ladder of the CIA. This is a different type of role for Reynolds as he plays a very serious role rather than staring in a comedy. The entire movie revolves around Reynolds trying to catch up with Washington after he escapes from the safe house when it is attacked. The acting by both of them is spectacular as they both reveal realistic facial expressions and dive into their character's personality.<br/><br/>While the relationship between the two main characters is the main point to this movie, the director's eye for the set and the details of the movie top it all off. The set and the location of the movie, South Africa, make the movie seem more realistic rather than if it was filmed somewhere else. The grey, dismal effects of the camera and the different effects of the editing add to the suspense of the movie. The movie was shot intentionally in dark areas which made the movie more dramatic and suspenseful. Additionally, although not as effective as the dark colors of the scenes, throughout the fighting and combat of the movie there is intense, fast music playing which adds to the drama of the plot. The worn out location of the safe house makes the movie more realistic and makes it seem as if you are actually there.<br/><br/>Although most of this movie is centered around fighting and intense action scenes, the best part of the movie is the developing relationship between Tobin Frost and Matt Weston. At the beginning of the movie, neither Tobin nor Matt trusted one another as they both thought that they were both going to go behind each other's backs. At one point in the movie when Tobin escapes from Matt's watch, Matt goes behind the CIA's orders to not go after him and let them handle it. When Matt finds and helps Tobin escape from trouble, their relationship changes as they both realize that they are on the same team. Along the way, Tobin teaches Matt different things about being a CIA agent and ultimately helps Matt in his career. This theme of trust and who to trust continues throughout the movie, as this theme is the central point in this movie.<br/><br/>Although I would not recommend this movie for a younger audience because of the various violent scenes, I would definitely recommend it to an older audience because it is filled with suspense and has many unexpected surprises. You will not regret watching this movie.
Espinosa never conveys any sort of perspective on the material, as Scott does through his obsessive attention to production detail; the stylization feels empty, distracting from whatever simple pleasures the routine plot (involving double agents and stolen microchips) might have delivered.
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