Almost entirely composed of long and medium shots, Todd Haynes' second feature is clinical to the point of being Cronenbergian. (Its deliberate pace and glacial camera moves are most reminiscent of Cronenberg's masterpiece, "Dead Ringers.")
Set in the San Fernando Valley in 1987, "Safe" is all about Carol, an idle homemaker played by Julianne Moore, who tries to control her environment, but her environment ends up controlling her. Her husband tries to be as understanding as possible, but when medical science repeatedly fails to find anything wrong with her, it puts a strain on their marriage which would have lead to an explosion of some sort if this had been an ordinary film. Instead, Haynes has something more interesting in mind.
This is a film that is about its environment in so many ways. We hear the traffic sounds when Carol is having lunch with her best friend, the soundtrack of '80s songs frequently reminds us of when we are, and the periodic silences force us to focus on Haynes' compositions and the characters' surroundings. Even early on, when an acquaintance from her aerobics class comments that she doesn't sweat, or she confesses to her doctor that she's a "milkaholic," or she decides on a whim to get a perm, we can guess where Haynes is going, but not necessarily how he will get there. In this film, it's all about how we get there.
It would be foolhardy to claim that this is a film for everyone, but if you have the patience for it, "Safe" can be a very rewarding experience.
Set in the San Fernando Valley in 1987, "Safe" is all about Carol, an idle homemaker played by Julianne Moore, who tries to control her environment, but her environment ends up controlling her. Her husband tries to be as understanding as possible, but when medical science repeatedly fails to find anything wrong with her, it puts a strain on their marriage which would have lead to an explosion of some sort if this had been an ordinary film. Instead, Haynes has something more interesting in mind.
This is a film that is about its environment in so many ways. We hear the traffic sounds when Carol is having lunch with her best friend, the soundtrack of '80s songs frequently reminds us of when we are, and the periodic silences force us to focus on Haynes' compositions and the characters' surroundings. Even early on, when an acquaintance from her aerobics class comments that she doesn't sweat, or she confesses to her doctor that she's a "milkaholic," or she decides on a whim to get a perm, we can guess where Haynes is going, but not necessarily how he will get there. In this film, it's all about how we get there.
It would be foolhardy to claim that this is a film for everyone, but if you have the patience for it, "Safe" can be a very rewarding experience.