Phubbs
Posts: 658
Joined: 3/4/2012
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Safe House
SPOILER WARNING!
If you need a powerful performance for serious high quality espionage/wartime/crime type thrillers then you call on Mr Washington, its common knowledge. 'The Pelican Brief' 'Man on Fire' 'Inside Man' 'Courage Under Fire' 'The Manchurian Candidate' etc...the man is a serious actor and doesn't do silly summer blockbuster fare.
That in mind who better to use in another serious espionage double cross thriller that looks as if it was directed by Ridley Scott. The film could almost be a sequel to 'Man on Fire' its so similar in terms of plot development, action sequences, locations and the character Washington plays. Well OK its not exactly identical but you can see what I mean.
So we swap the hot humid sweaty conditions of Mexico for the dry heat conditions of South Africa. Washington is an ex-CIA agent turned criminal who gets procession of a disc containing lots of dirty secrets about the CIA and other agencies. Its up to the inexperienced Reynolds to protect him, even though he doesn't really want to.
The whole film plays out as you would expect but unfortunately like too many other films you may have seen. What you get throughout is directed and filmed with outstanding quality and high production values but its not really very original. The action is top notch and certainly so extremely realistic you can taste the tension. A lot of deafening gunfire, fist fights that make you wince, some brutal car chases and crashes and all filmed within highly atmospheric real locations or sets.
So the problem is its just by the numbers and you know its all gonna end in double cross and twists...you just know it!. Without giving the game away there will be a lot of what I just said, but surely you all know that, its common practice in films like this hehe. The plot is simply your basic structured thriller which includes all the basic ingredients that are usually required.
Using some top actors for the main roles of course helps but it doesn't hide its short falls I'm afraid. I'm pretty sure most people will probably deduce what Gleeson is up to and the obvious fact that the top ranking suits in the story are most probably hiding something. Always the same with these high rankings US officials in thriller films.
Ruben Blades has probably the most common role in a film like this, he is an old time friend who Washington's character retreats to in a time of need. There is a small sequence where they reminisce, then they get down to business as 'Frost' requires his help one last time, then of course the bad guys find them in their 'off the beaten track' location and Blades' character is killed. Just as quickly as he is introduced he is killed off, merely a stop gap for the main character to get some vital last minute help and refuel as it were.
If you wanna see some excellent action set pieces then you can't go wrong here. Alas that is all your gonna get really as the plot is chock full of all the regular thriller/espionage cliches that we have all seen before. Its not a bad film, its very very well made, its just old hat. It also seems to try and morph into a 'Bourne' type concept right at the very very end, almost hinting at a sequel which might take Reynolds character into familiar territory.
< Message edited by Phubbs -- 16/7/2012 12:59:24 AM >
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