Safelight (2015) Reviews

• Indie Drama is a Decent Watch

  larrys32016-01-13

  This indie drama won't appeal to everyone, but I found it to be a decent watch, buoyed by quite the believable acting. Evan Peters is excellent in his portrayal of Charles, a shy 17-year-old aspiring photographer, who's had a physical disability since birth and thus walks with a decided limp. The underrated and talented actress Juno Temple co-stars as Vicki, a sexy 18-year-old hooker, operating out of a truck stop and motel, adjacent to the convenience store where Charles works. They have both had most difficult upbringings, and although seemingly far-fetched, a friendship and even a possible relationship develops between the two teens. Their bonding is heightened when Vicki helps Charles take photos of lighthouses along the California coastline for a school project, and I thought the chemistry between the two worked well. As mentioned, the supporting cast here is quite solid, with Christine Lahti playing Peg, a tough-talking and vibrant woman, who manages the store where Charles works and is a constant source of encouragement to him. Additionally, Kevin Alejandro is certainly believable as Vicki's "psycho" pimp Skid, and Kevin Beghe adds well to the mix as Eric, Charles' supportive but ailing father. All in all, this movie, written and directed by Tony Aloupis, can seem incredulous at times, but, as mentioned, buoyed by solid acting, kept my interest and I felt it was a decent watch. I must add that I wasn't thrilled with the ending here, as it seemed abrupt and, I thought, left some key plot elements unexplained.

• Sweet and Simple

  dansview2016-01-09

  There is no official indication that this is a movie set in some "retro" period, but I think it is. I'm not sure why. Perhaps to emphasize the physical and cultural isolation of the setting. The clothes and cars seem old and there are no computers. The two kids are outsiders for different reasons. But their status as outsiders brings them together. I don't think there was any narration until the last minute. That's always really awkward, although in this case the lines spoken by the narrator, who is obviously the male lead, are simple yet profound. He says that sometimes people come into your life who open up new perspectives or possibilities. Or something along those lines. That's really what the movie was about. It's dark, so if you are prone to being depressed by dark films, you may want to avoid it. Yet it's different than the dystopian cynicism of a lot of mainstream films, reality shows, and comedy. Because there is "light" in it. The Christine Lahti character never lets the kid down. She is always there for him. I did not understand the back story on the girl. They should have tried harder to make that clear. Did she get abused by a step dad? Of course the drives from the desert to the lighthouses made no geographical sense, but viewers outside California may not realize that. I suppose it's OK, because we sometimes allow for such things in order for a movie to get its' point across and entertain us. There are no lighthouses close by any deserts. You would have to travel a long, long way to find any on the coast. It wouldn't be a casual road trip either. There is no explanation for how the boy became a gimp. I guess they didn't want to focus on that, since the limp was just a metaphor for being an outside or a pariah. Although the conclusion was depressing and inevitable, they avoided showing gore by literally not filming it. There is no sex or hardcore violence in this picture. I really appreciated that. The music is not much to speak of. There were a couple unmemorable indie tunes, but original. I am so glad they didn't use some clichéd soundtrack. This is a slow moving character-driven piece that does not attempt to slam you over the head with a message. It's also a lot less cynical than the average modern indie. I have no idea who the girl is. She was OK and the boy did an adequate job. He was supposed to be an innocent kid and he portrayed that adequately. Lahti was good, although her character was not an original one. The kind-hearted country western divorcée has been done before.

• Watchable but nothing amazing

  Seth_Rogue_One2016-04-03

  A slice of life indie-drama about a teenage boy (Evan Peters) with a slightly dysfunctional leg, they call him cripple in the movie but I think that's borderline slur so yeah I'll just put it like that instead, seems to work fine otherwise just walks a bit crookedly. Anyway he befriends a teenage girl who's a prostitute (Juno Temple) and yeah that's what the movie is about more or less. The plot summary here on IMDb make it sound more like a road-trip movie than it actually is, I mean there is a roadtrip but it's not substantial to the story so if you're expecting a typical get up to crazy things in new towns type of road movies you might be a bit disappointed. Writing could have been a little sharper but Temple and Peters are both as always good and make it worthwhile still.

• fine-tuned

  wrv-168582016-07-04

  'Safelight' delivers a fine-tuned mix of affection, desolation, loneliness, beauty and human spirit. Leaving you with a good and well- balanced aftertaste. Although officially set in the 1970-s, 'Safelight' was never meant to carry you back. Which shouldn't be considered a failure, but much more an underlining of its story's timeless character. To provide this timelessness, 'Safelight's plot puts some weight on the Californian landscape. Melting it more or less with Evan Peters and Juno Temple's acting. Yes, 'Safelight' has become a fine production. It reminds at the lost relationships that many of us once experienced.

• Made me smile.

  Katy_Scary2015-12-10

  This was a lovely and complicated story about 2 young people who live on the fringe of society only to find the center of it in each other. This is one of my favorite movies to date. It doesn't attempt to put lipstick on the pig in the room. She's a whore and he's a gimp but the 2 of them together is just beautiful. It doesn't have special effects, nudity, kick ass music or gory violence. This movie works because it's honest. Cinderella of the streets meets her prince in some poor run down town. The country music was decent and it's perfect for this movie. A picture about 2nd chances and humanity.