Cast:
Tobin Frost – Denzel Washington
Matt Weston – Ryan Reynolds
Catherine Linklater – Vera Farmiga
David Barlow – Brendan Gleeson
Harlan Whitford – Sam Shepard
Carlos Villar – Ruben Blades
Daniel Kiefer – Robert Patrick
Film Info:
Directed By: Daniel Espinosa
Written By: David Guggenheim
Runtime: 115 Minutes
Spoiler Free Plot Synopsis
Rookie FBI Agent Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a “housekeeper” assigned to look after traitorous former CIA operative Tobin Frost who has recently come out of hiding. When his safe house is attacked, Weston will have to find out if Frost is friend or foe before unseen forces kill them both.
Kick Ass Moment:
[Source: Trailer Addict]
My Take:
We have all watched various spy thrillers where the villains aren’t as villainous as they seem, but in his U.S. directorial debut, Director Daniel Espinosa brings a few new tricks to the table. After seeing this film, we had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Espinosa, and throughout the interview you could see how excited he was to work with such outstanding talent. Denzel Washington returned to the “dark hero” persona previously seen in “Man on Fire” and it added a level of controlled violence to the Tobin Frost character. Denzel joins a list of older established actors dipping their toes into the action genre. His chemistry with Ryan Reynolds was natural and worked extremely well. Mr. Espinosa stated in the interview that one of the key moments in the film was completely ad-libbed by Washington and Reynolds. One thing I particularly liked was the wealth of great acting talent that supported Denzel and Ryan throughout the film. Acting veterans such as Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard and Brendan Gleeson added not only excellent dialogue but actually made you want to know more about their characters and their agendas. One actor whose work I always enjoy is Ruben Blades, who seems to always bring his A-game even when cast in smaller roles. The director stated in the interview that Ruben Blades’ character was based on his father. During an exchange between Blades and Washington, you can really see the fatherly tone on display and while it was subtle, it succeeded in humanizing Frost amidst all the carnage left in his wake. Ryan Reynolds also stepped up his game and displayed excellent versatility in his role as Weston (No relation to Michael Weston, Burn Notice fans) showing not only genuine emotion but also an excellent transformation from sheep to wolf .
I gained a newfound appreciation for Denzel Washington after the hearing all the great things Daniel Espinosa said about him during our interview. Any man who volunteers to for waterboarding to maintain the integrity of a scene is a true master of his craft.
Interview Highlights:
Director Daniel Espinosa breaks down the waterboarding scene
Safe House Junket Waterboarding by My Take Radio
Recommendation
Safe House is an exhilarating film from start to finish and I highly recommend you check it out. Not only will you see a new facet of Ryan Reynolds’ acting but you will be treated to a very memorable performance from Denzel Washington. If you enjoyed “Man on Fire “and “Training Day” you will certainly appreciate and enjoy “Safe House“.
