Safety Not Guaranteed
Is Safety Not Guaranteed indie? Science fiction meets romantic comedy? Off-beat? I can’t say, but, what I do know about this movie is that I am surprised that more people are not talking about it.
Starring Aubrey Plaza—April from “Parks and Recreation”—and Jake Johnson—Nick from “The New Girl”—Safety Not Guaranteed takes a scenic tour of our Washington backyard, stopping along the way to be endearing and entertaining. Both actors deliver believable performances, to the point where I wonder if some of the movie came from their own lives.
The story starts with Johnson’s character reading a classified ad stating, “Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me … Safety not guaranteed.” From there, the movie develops into a time traveling fantasy, using the potential of a time machine both as a goal to be chased and a way to delve into the characters’ back stories.
Oftentimes in indie movies the characters feel too perfect, the plot is too crafted, and witty lines of dialog seem too overly thought through. Safety Not Guaranteed does not suffer this problem since the dialog comes across as genuine and, instead of witty one-liners that no one in real life ever uses, there is fun and choppy banter that grabbed me because it sounded normal—rare in film.
I have always enjoyed a good time travel movie (Back to the Future, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and this film delivers that same excitement. Go see Safety Not Guaranteed because most people missed it when it was in theaters, and there is nothing this campus likes more than an indie, sci-fi, off-beat rom-com.
Safety Not Guaranteed shows Sept. 21 through Sept. 23. in Rausch Auditorium
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
The two explanations for my tears while watching Seeking a Friend for the End of the World were either that someone was cutting an absurd number of onions next to me in the theater, or that it was a really cute movie. I, for one, am not sure how they snuck a five-pound bag of onions into the cinaplex…
Starring Steve Carell, Keira Knightley and a slew of people I spent the whole movie trying figure out where I knew them from, this is a funny, inspiring and offbeat movie. The film, as denoted by the title, takes place under the guise that the non-threateningly named asteroid Matilda is going to send little bits of our Earth flying like bowling pins. Once the impending doom is acknowledged, the movie is given clearance to go in whichever direction it may like, exploring the reality of two people meeting in uncertain times.
The best part of any Carell movie is that he is a lovable loser with an incredibly dry sense of humor; the other side of the coin is that Carell is the worst part of any movie that he stars in. He is a funnier version of Eeyore, or a non-cowboy step-cousin of Han Solo.
Penny, played by Knightly, mollifies Dodge’s (Carell) sadness and initial despondence. Penny is an affable old-soul despite being 29, who always has just the right amount of crazy shining through the cracks. Providing both the right amount of sex appeal and adorable, she helps the movie drift from one improbability to another, with enough effervescence to make even the Grinch’s heart grow.
A mix between funny, touching and engaging, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is worth $1 and two hours.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World shows Sept. 28 through Sept. 30.
Campus Films shows films in Rausch Auditorium on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.. Tickets are one dollar for students.
