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'Safe House' review

Ryan Reynolds takes on Denzel Washington in this top-notch action movie

By Rachael Mason

Special to Metromix
February 9, 2012

Critic's Rating:

Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds (Credit: Universal)

Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston in ``Safe House.''

Denzel Washington as Tobin Frost in ``Safe House.''

Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard in ``Safe House.''

(L-R) Rubén Blades and Denzel Washington as Tobin Frost in ``Safe House.''

Safe House

Running time:: 115 minutes

Rated:: R

Cast:

Denzel Washington -

Tobin Frost

Ryan Reynolds -

Matt Weston

Vera Farmiga -

Catherine Linklater

Brendan Gleeson -

David Barlow

Sam Shepard -

Harlan Whitford

See full cast

Director:: Daniel Espinosa

Genre:: Action

Official Movie Web Site:: http://www.nooneissafe.com/

Overall User Rating:: (1 rating)

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Think your job is boring? So does Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a low-level CIA employee who has spent the last year in Cape Town, South Africa, as the keeper of a safe house—a secure location CIA operatives use as needed—where nothing at all has happened. But his mundane assignment changes dramatically when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a rogue agent known for selling government secrets, is brought in for an interrogation. After the safe house is attacked, only Weston and Frost survive, leaving it up to Weston to keep Frost safe and in custody.

The buzz: David Guggenheim's “Safe House” spec script sparked a bidding war between several major studios. The former US Weekly staffer quit his magazine job after Universal bought the project, and he has several more movies in the works including “Stolen,” starring Nicolas Cage, and “364,” which will be directed by Ron Howard.

The verdict: “Safe House” is packed with gun battles, fistfights and car chases (and crashes)—everything you’d want in a top-notch action movie. The struggle between Weston and Frost, along with steady character development and slick camerawork, keeps the tension building until the final moments. Washington and Reynolds are both so persuasive in their roles that even when “Safe House” is over, you won’t be quite sure whose side you were on. Vera Farmiga is also perfectly cast as a high-ranking CIA official suspicious of Weston's interactions with Frost. The dialogue is blissfully free of action-movie cliches, and even though the story is involving, director Daniel Espinosa never quite lets you forget that you’re watching a movie. The cinematography seems to be begging for attention, with soft focus and a somewhat muted palette as if the entire movie had been shot using Instagram. Fortunately, there’s not much downtime to reflect on the look of the film. The constant stream of action is engaging, entertaining and not so easy to shake off: expect to feel hyper-alert long after the credits roll.

Did you know? During the six months Washington spent researching his role as a master manipulator and accomplished liar his reading list included dark tomes like “The Sociopath Next Door” by Martha Stout.