Safety Not Guaranteed
Safety Not Guaranteed is a comedy-drama-maybe-sci-fi movie from relatively “new” director Colin Trevorrow. The cast is headed up by Aubrey Piaza (Parks and Rec), Jake M. Johnson (New Girl) and Karan Soni, as three reporters at “Seattle Magazine” sent on assignment to find the writer of a classified ad seeking a partner…for time travel. The writer of said ad assures all readers “this is not a joke,” and that, of course, their “safety is not guaranteed.”
This is a sweet movie, with a surprising dual-plot approach that follows all of the principles as they seek alternate ways to time traval, Darius (Piaza) by attaching herself to the ad-placer, and her boss Jeff (Johnson) as he tries to find something to make him feel young again. The writing is good and the cast likable, particularly Mark Duplass who gives a far more subtle performance as Kenneth (the would-be time traveler) than many actors would, I think – he serves the part well by doing so. I can’t say it all works quite the way it is supposed to, but it’s 90-minutes of quirky fun. Worth it for a matinee, or an add to your Netflix Queue in a few months.
Now, the trailers. This was a different kind of movie than the box office big-shots I’ve been seeing lately, so it was nice to get some artsy/indie movie trailers. As always, the information comes from IMDb, the clips from YouTube and the commentary from yours truly.
Ruby Sparks (Release date: Sept. 13, 2012)
Directors: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Staring: Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan
A novelist struggling with writer’s block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.
Sold! I find everything about this movie appealing – the premise, the stars, the music. Directors Dayton and Faris were best known for their work on music videos before their sleeper-hit Little Miss Sunshine in 2006, which I love. Plus, what writer hasn’t imagined just this kind of thing? For that matter, what reader hasn’t imagined their favorite characters living out their lives somewhere, as real as the rest of us?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Release date: Sept. 20th, 2012)
Director: Steven Chbosky
Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller
An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.
Director Chbosky is also the writer of the novel on which this film is based and the screenplay. First published by MTV in 1999, the novel continues to be a favorite in the teen-and-20-something crowd as a coming of age tale with a twist. I look forward to this as much for Emma Watson as anything else – it is great to see her make the transition from Harry Potter to more adult roles so deftly. Her small, but important role in My Week With Marilyn was just the beginning, it seems.
Celeste and Jesse Forever (August 3, 2012 – limited)
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Stars: Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones
A divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people.
I kind of crush on Andy Samberg, I admit it. I also think he’s very, very talented. After the total failure of That’s My Boy, I’m hoping this is a hit for him. The trailer works for me, but the reviews on IMDb (the film was technically “released” at Sundance) aren’t great – only 5.4 out of 10. Still, I will hold out hope for this one.
Argo (Release Date: October 12, 2012)
Director: Ben Affleck
Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston and John Goodman
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
I know Ben Affleck was once on the verge of becoming a Hollywood joke, nearly ruining the promising start to his career provided by Good Will Hunting and Chasing Amy with disastrous choices like Forces of Nature and Gigli. I have always rooted for him, however, and around the same time he rescued his reputation as an actor with Hollywoodland, he established himself as director to be reckoned with when Gone Baby Gone hit theaters in 2007. We’ll see what happens when he tries to bring his acting and directing together. The story is certainly compelling, and his supporting cast undeniably talented. Plus, I do love a man with a beard.
That’s it of this installment of Before the Movie. Check back often – I’m a movie-theater popcorn junkie.
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I had Perks of Being a Wallflower and Argo on People Like Us. Argo looks like an edge-of-your-seat kind of movie. I definitely want to see it. I agree with you about the cast, I love Bryan Cranston and John Goodman.
I’m forcing myself to refrain from Googling the real-world events on which it is based so that I won’t know how it all plays out.
Been wanting to see this. Probably gona wait for the dvd.
Anyway that Ruby movie does look good, but I don’t really know what the plot is besides let’s show everyone Ruby. Maybe it’s better for it to be a surprise.
I swear I remember seeing something for that Andy Samberg movie on youtube, and I remember thinking it was just a joke or something. Had no idea it was an actual movie.
Until I lost it in a computer crash, I had saved for the longest time a spam email from a purported “stranded Time Traveler” who was in search of a crucial component to repair his time machine so that he could return to his own time. I wish I still had that email. I like the guy from New Girl, that was a show that grew on me all last season.
Primer is probably my favorite time-travel movie… though it kind of requires you to really watch and listen, because they actually attempt to explain the time travel complete with technical jargon and all. It’s kind of a science geek’s dream time travel movie.
I just used “deft” in a post not 15 minutes ago elsewhere, so I had to read that part twice. I’ve seen both Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe doing well adjusting to adult roles. I wonder if it is easier for British actors to do that. American child actors seem all-too-often to have difficulty transitioning.
Well I bet there are tons of British child actors that go onto do nothing as well. The American ones are just more in the spotlight for us.
Plus they are like mega stars not “Home Alone” or “Terminator 2″ famous. So they have to have more pressures on them I imagine.
You’re probably right. I know that just because I don’t read about it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened… it just seems like a lot of sad childhood actor stories in Hollywood vs in other cultures. So I like when we get stories about kids who are able to be kids and actors, and then able to become healthy adults and remain actors if they wish.