Sundance ‘12: Safety Not Guaranteed review
“WANTED: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.”
Based on the infamous classified ad heard round the internet, this “Safety Not Guaranteed” brings unexpected sincerity to it’s potentially one-joke premise. Aubrey Plaza stars as Darius Britt an intern at a magazine sent out on assignment to find out exactly who placed the ad and whether it’s a joke or the work of a crazy person. Cocky writer Jeff Schwensen (Jake M. Johnson) takes along Britt and intern Arnau (Karan Soni) to help solve this mystery. Before long they find the man who placed the ad, Kenneth Calloway (indie king Mark Duplass), a mullet & jean jacket wearing loner who really seems to believe it. As Britt gets closer to the story, Jeff goes off on his own to check in on an old high school flame (Jenica Bergere) and help timid Arnau connect with his manhood. Of all the films I saw at Sundance this year, this was the one with the most commercial potential.
It’s a great starring vehicle for Plaza, finally getting the opportunity to bring her droll comic persona to a leading role and Johnson (who co-stars on the hit sitcom “The New Girl”) is funny and charismatic even when his character less attractive. Calloway as portrayed by Duplass is an outsider (perhaps the missing link between MacGruber and Napoleon Dynamite) but the film isn’t interested in making him a total cartoon. Yes, there are even moments of depth in a comedy about an idiot who believes in time travel. But that’s Sundance for you. Bursting with surprising optimism and positivity the film goes where you hope it might but might not expect it to. And though the diversion with Jeff and his love interest takes up a bit too much screen time and only tangentially tied to the main story, the message there is still sweet. It’s a highly impressive debut feature from writer Derek Connolly and director Colin Trevorrow.
