Safe
201295 minutes
rated R
by Scott Mendelson
Writer/director Boaz Yakin's Safe is the kind of B-movie action film that does the designation proud. It is openly thoughtful and intelligent, crafting a truly engrossing bit of character drama while holding the action in reserve until it matters. It delicately balances a real-world narrative with action sequences that are just a touch over-the-top without ever sacrificing drama for thrills or vice-versa. It's unapologetically what it is, but Yakin and star Jason Statham have crafted a rock-solid action drama that is rooted in 1940s film-noir transfused with an authentic post-9/11 paranoia New York City milieu. It's high time I stopped referring to movies like this (adult-skewing R-rated star-driven genre pictures) as 'the kind of films they just don't make anymore', since such films have clearly made a comeback in the last couple years. And Safe is a sterling example of why they have a genuine value in the cinematic landscape.
