Safe

( 2 )

Overview

Todd Haynes presents a revisionist take on the paranoia thriller with this story of a Southern California housewife who suddenly falls victim to an inexplicable, apparently incurable illness. Carol White Julianne Moore lives with her husband and son in suburban comfort until she collapses one day, for no apparent reason. Her condition worsens in the weeks that follow, as she suffers from coughing fits, exhaustion, and spontaneous nose bleeds, triggered by sources as disparate as car exhaust, cologne, and the sun....
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Overview

Todd Haynes presents a revisionist take on the paranoia thriller with this story of a Southern California housewife who suddenly falls victim to an inexplicable, apparently incurable illness. Carol White Julianne Moore lives with her husband and son in suburban comfort until she collapses one day, for no apparent reason. Her condition worsens in the weeks that follow, as she suffers from coughing fits, exhaustion, and spontaneous nose bleeds, triggered by sources as disparate as car exhaust, cologne, and the sun. Failing to find any medical explanation for her maladies, her doctor refers her to a psychiatrist, who suggests that her physical ailments are psychosomatic -- a theory echoed by her callous and increasingly frustrated husband. At her wits' end, Carol withdraws to an expensive New Age retreat for sufferers of "20th century disease," where the community's guru Peter Friedman champions a dubious regimen of diet, climate control, introspection, and self-love.
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Pete Segall
Leave it to Todd Haynes Poison, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story to employ that mysterious malady of the late 20th century, environmental illness, as a vehicle for an icily brilliant critique of contemporary society. Playing subtly with the conventions of both melodrama and satire, Safe poses the question: What happens when someone becomes allergic to the world? Julianne Moore at her frailest is Carol, a housewife in suburban Southern California who is suddenly made sick and anxious by everything around her -- her home, her husband the brilliantly understated Xander Berkeley, her life. She retreats to a remote spa, and there she begins to steadily withdraw from the world. Moore, though blank-eyed and pale throughout, never really looks "sick"; does that mean she's actually well, or are we all unwell? Haynes is calm and deliberately paced in his approach, never becoming ham-fisted with his humor. Consequently, the realization that the world around us is very faulty becomes very real. Recently voted the best film of the '90s in a critics' poll conducted by the Village Voice, Safe is a quiet dynamo.
All Movie Guide - Michael Hastings
After the formal acrobatics of Poison, his 1991 feature debut, writer-director Todd Haynes applied his rigorous, philosophical aesthetic to the venerable genre of the "disease film" with Safe. In the process, Haynes asserted himself not only as a highly skilled, unconventional auteur but also as a savvy chronicler of late-century fear and dread. The film's subject matter lends itself to a plethora of interpretations -- environmental cautionary tale, satire of spiritual vacancy, AIDS allegory -- but Haynes refuses to single out a particular rationale, exploring an epidemic's stigmas and psychological baggage more than the epidemic itself. Aiding the director is Julianne Moore, who imbues Carol, the meek, vapid housewife, with a uniquely sympathetic quality without resorting to the pity-inducing simpering of a conventional issue-movie heroine. Haynes and cinematographer Alex Nepomniaschy give the picture's Southwestern landscapes an arid, minimalist look that owes as much to Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Desert (1964) as to such paranoia thrillers as The Stepford Wives (1975). But the director forgoes the blunt, predictable rhythms of conventional thrillers for a more laconic, nightmarish approach: conversations dangle long after they're finished, and Carol's protracted physical breakdowns enhance the aura of helplessness. Though Safe had a limited theatrical run, it established Moore as one of the most challenging actresses in Hollywood, alternating high-budget, high-profile productions with memorable independent films; for Haynes, the film marked his graduation from New Queer Cinema pioneer to more rarified "maverick" status, invigorating diverse subject matter with his unique worldview.
Washington Post
...tremendously affecting and eerily compassionate.... [Moore] turns her potentially gonzo-neurotic archetype into a tender being, whose anguish and plight become charged with moral importance. Instead of playing mere spiraling victim, she infuses her persona with extraordinary grace, so that her struggle is shared by all of us. Desson Howe

...tremendously affecting and eerily compassionate.... [Moore] turns her potentially gonzo-neurotic archetype into a tender being, whose anguish and plight become charged with moral importance. Instead of playing mere spiraling victim, she infuses her persona with extraordinary grace, so that her struggle is shared by all of us. Desson Howe
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/13/2000
  • UPC: 043396118430
  • Original Release: 1995

    • Rating:

  • Source: Sony Pictures
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Julianne Moore Carol White
Peter Friedman Peter Dunning
Xander Berkeley Greg White
James LeGros Chris
Kate McGregor-Stewart Claire
Mary Carver Nell
Ravi Achar Wrenwood Instructor
Dana Anderson Lynn
John Apicella Psychiatrist
Julie Burgess Aerobics Instructor
Elinor O. Caplan Patient
Joe Comando Exterminator
Peter Crombie Dr. Reynolds
Brandon Cruz Steve
Sarah Scott Davis , Sarah
Sarah Davis Sarah
Frank Dent Video Narrator
Brendan Dolan Patrolman
Tricia Dong Wrenwood Patient
Ronnie Farer Barbara
Cassy Friel Baby Shower Child
Tim Gardner Department Store Dispatcher
Wendy Gayle Baby Shower Mother
Steven Gilborn Dr. Hubbard
April Grace Susan
Eleanor Graham Singer
Beth Grant Becky (auditorium Speaker)
Mitchell Greenhill Accompanist
Jessica Harper Joyce
Wendy Haynes Waitress
Chauncey Leopardi Rory
James Lyons Cab Driver
Jodie Markell Anita
Edith Meeks Patient No. 1
Gerrielani Miyazaki Listener No. 2
Janel Moloney Hairdresser
Susan Norman Linda
Dean Norris Mover
Jean Pflieger Client's Wife
Francesca Roberts Patient No. 2
Saachiko Dry Cleaners Manager
Lorna Scott Marilyn
Martha Velez-Johnson Fulvia
Allan Wasserman Client
John Wilkinson Listener
Jo Wilkinson Listener
Technical Credits
Todd Haynes Director, Screenwriter
David James Bomba Production Designer
Neil Danziger Musical Direction/Supervision
Jakki Fink Casting
Mary E. Gullickson Set Decoration/Design
Ted Hope Executive Producer
Ernest Kerns Associate Producer
Lidsay Law Executive Producer
James Lyons Editor
Alex Nepomniaschy Cinematographer
James Schamus Executive Producer
Tony Stabley Art Director
Nancy Steiner Costumes/Costume Designer
Ed Tomney Score Composer
Denny Vachlioti Producer
Christine Vachon Producer
Lauren Zalaznick Producer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 2 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(2)

4 Star

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2 Star

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1 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    profound, subtle, and lingering

    All the people in this story do the best they can with limited abilities--and together they form the most formidable and frightening monster I've seen portrayed in film. We the viewers stand helplessly by watching these people reveal their flaws while they remain completely unaware of them. The elements of love and self forgiveness are at once both empowering and disappointing, a candid portrayal that is most difficult to face. The characters may be fictitious but the monster is very real, and the horrible truth is that wittingly or unwittingly, each of us is a part of this monster. For the sophisticated viewer, this film is horror at its finest, most subtle, and profound, that will linger and tempt replaying for years and years.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 4, 2000

    A PERFECT FILM

    SAFE is one of the few films I would have to call perfect or as perfect as a film can be. Julianne Moore (a friend of Todd Haynes) gives a breathtaking performance, that should have received an oscar nomination. Todd Haynes is an amazing director (and he's gay of course!). This film is groundbreaking, although I have read it was a satire on affluent suburban housewives & their vacuous existences (Moore's character is completely empty inside, nothing's there) it is also a strong environmental statement. People with EI (environmental illness) do exist & as is stated in the credits of the film, information was received from The Center for the Chemically Injured (somewhere in Texas I believe, no surprise, with all our refineries). The supporting cast are excellent: there is Jessica Harper (from the famous Dario Argento film SUSPIRIA), Mary Carver, James LeGros.....Pay attention to this film, turn up the volume as there are some subtleties that will be missed if you don't listen closely. Another note, the score is fantastic & fits perfectly.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews