Safety not Guaranteed

Every once in a while a movie comes along that pleasantly surprises you. Safety not Guaranteed is one of those films. Although made with relatively unknown actors, this cast of characters brings something fresh to the screen.

Safety not Guaranteed is a fairly understated & genuine film about taking chances. There is also an underlying message about regret and how we should cope with it, either by living with it, forgetting it, or changing it.

The movie begins at a Seattle magazine where the boss (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is looking for story ideas. Jake Johnson who plays Jeff suggests investigating a bizarre classified ad that reads:

"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. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed."  The three journalists who investigate this "time traveler" are all on different tracks in their lives as far as time goes. They're all on a journey of self discovery.

So many movies like this starts off strongly and then  peter out in a swirl of poor writing. However this gem was quite the opposite.As the movie progresses, little by little you find yourself rooting for the "crazy time traveler" and really hope that he travel back in time despite the fact it is obvious he will not. (Not a spoiler)


For me, Safety not Guaranteed struck a long and very deep note, as we are all unfortunately time travelers, but the opportunity to go back and repair however a bit cliched, is what we as humans have longed for since the beginning of time.