Plot: What’s it about?
Carol White (Julianne Moore) lives a comfortable lifestyle, one which seems very normal to her, as it would to most people. She spends her time at home or with friends, as she is quite social and loves to get out and about, to be sure. Her relationship with her husband Greg (Xander Berkeley) has some ups and downs, but is very solid and she even has a young stepson, Rory. She has never had any serious health problems either, until one day when her entire is turned upside down. The basic elements around her, ones she has been exposed to her entire life, have started to inflame her body’s senses, in a most violent fashion. She has trouble breathing, vomits, and sometimes even bleeds, simply by being exposed to normal, everyday chemicals. Her doctor is unable to find anything wrong with her, but she insists these problems aren’t in her head, so he sends to a shrink, who he feels might have some answers. As she becomes weaker and weaker, will Carol discover a way to overcome this illness, or is it all simply inside her head?
I rented Safe a long while ago on VHS and liked the movie, but I ended up seeing it a few more times, to soak in more of the details. The storyline is simple enough in premise, but with such a complex lead character in a complex situation, it is hard to grasp it all the first time around. I suppose you can get the general idea with a solo look, but I think more revisits open up new doors, ones that provoke new thoughts about Carol and her illness. This movie is based on real life cases of environmental illness and after I’d seen Safe, I wanted to learn more about the illness, as it is quite an interesting subject, I think. Some people claim this is a simple anti-chemical pro-environmentalist picture, but I think of Safe more as a subtle thriller, in which we watch as Carol tries to unmask the truth, which is only found within herself. You have to be willing to focus however, as Safe moves at a rather slow pace, with minimal brisk scenes present. But I think it is a very well made movie and worth a look, especially since Columbia has issued a nice, solid disc.
Her performance here is so subtle, almost too much so, but it nails the character and makes Safe as good as it is. I think Haynes supplied some good material for Moore here, but her take often elevates his writing and some cases, saves scenes from sinking, I think. But this is not the kind of role people remember, which means Moore played it to perfection, as her character is not that memorable, just the circumstances around her. Her facial expressions are excellent in this movie, as are her overall mannerisms and vocal delivery, but it is her facial work that always gets me here. Especially her eyes, which seem to vacant and make her seem so desperate, distant from almost everything in her life, except the illness. You can also see Moore in such films as Evolution, Magnolia, Hannibal, Short Cuts, Boogie Nights, and Nine Months. The cast also includes Xander Berkeley (Shanghai Noon, Gattaca), Peter Friedman (The Seventh Sign, Single White Female), and April Grace (Finding Forrester, Playing by Heart).
Video: How does it look?
Safe is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is not one of Columbia’s finest visual efforts, but it is solid enough and shouldn’t disappoint much. I was concerned with the amount of grain present, as all scenes seem to have some, while most of the darker scenes have a lot. You can still see a decent among of detail in those scenes, but I think sharper contrast would have been present, considering the film’s age (1995). The colors look good though and save for those few darker scenes, the contrast is well balanced. This transfer has more good than bad however, and in the end, I think it deserves a solid overall score.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround option is more than adequate, but since this material isn’t audio intensive, don’t expect too much. I found the surrounds to be active enough, with the music quite well presented and as far as sound effects, this mix is about as immersive as possible, given the limited range of the material involved. The dialogue is at the heart of this film and it sounds terrific, no harshness or volume errors in the least. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, in case you’ll want to enable those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The real bonus here is an audio commentary track with writer/director Todd Haynes, performer Julianne Moore, and producer Christine Vachon. This was a welcome inclusion, as Haynes has some interesting comments, while Moore shares her views on the character and film. I was very taken with this session, as lots of great information is passed between the three participants, although Haynes seems to be most present speaker, as expected.
