(no subject)
Safe (Hanynes, 1995) (10/10)
A meticulously crafted claustrophobic tone poem. Todd Hayne’s Safe seemingly resurrected the ghost of Stanley Kubrick. Long takes, detached and eerily symmetrical shots, overriding pessimism, and Kubrick’s trademark concern with the dehumanization of man. I was blown away. It's a beautifully constructed two act play which ends precisely at the supreme moment of poignant irony. Not to fall back on my Kubrick comparison, but the ending screamed Clockwork Orange, as did much of this film. It captured the neurosis of modern society with extraordinary precision. Hayne's doubt spares no subject. Modern medicine, modern family life, materialism, self-help, and decreased individualism are all touched on with equal subtlety. And Haynes makes it all sting. How painful was it to watch all those patients being told they were the cause of all their pain. How does one bear that weight? The whole Wrenwood center felt like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, no doubt intentionally. Julianne Moore plays the docile housewife to precision. Her true self underlies all her pleasantries and submission, a true credit to her performance. I don't know what else to say about Safe. Perhaps this is the true American Beauty?
A meticulously crafted claustrophobic tone poem. Todd Hayne’s Safe seemingly resurrected the ghost of Stanley Kubrick. Long takes, detached and eerily symmetrical shots, overriding pessimism, and Kubrick’s trademark concern with the dehumanization of man. I was blown away. It's a beautifully constructed two act play which ends precisely at the supreme moment of poignant irony. Not to fall back on my Kubrick comparison, but the ending screamed Clockwork Orange, as did much of this film. It captured the neurosis of modern society with extraordinary precision. Hayne's doubt spares no subject. Modern medicine, modern family life, materialism, self-help, and decreased individualism are all touched on with equal subtlety. And Haynes makes it all sting. How painful was it to watch all those patients being told they were the cause of all their pain. How does one bear that weight? The whole Wrenwood center felt like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, no doubt intentionally. Julianne Moore plays the docile housewife to precision. Her true self underlies all her pleasantries and submission, a true credit to her performance. I don't know what else to say about Safe. Perhaps this is the true American Beauty?