I disagree but regardless she did a good job in the role.

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In Reply to: "Safe?" Now THAT was a pointless, vapid waste. nt posted by tinear on February 21, 2008 at 14:38:12:

From a review that I feel gets it pretty much right...

"After the formal acrobatics of Poison, his 1991 feature debut, writer-director Todd Haynes applied his rigorous, philosophical aesthetic to the venerable genre of the "disease film" with Safe. In the process, Haynes asserted himself not only as a highly skilled, unconventional auteur but also as a savvy chronicler of late-century fear and dread.

The film's subject matter lends itself to a plethora of interpretations -- environmental cautionary tale, satire of spiritual vacancy, AIDS allegory -- but Haynes refuses to single out a particular rationale, exploring an epidemic's stigmas and psychological baggage more than the epidemic itself. Aiding the director is Julianne Moore, who imbues Carol, the meek, vapid housewife, with a uniquely sympathetic quality without resorting to the pity-inducing simpering of a conventional issue-movie heroine.

Haynes and cinematographer Alex Nepomniaschy give the picture's Southwestern landscapes an arid, minimalist look that owes as much to Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Desert (1964) as to such paranoia thrillers as The Stepford Wives (1975). But the director forgoes the blunt, predictable rhythms of conventional thrillers for a more laconic, nightmarish approach: conversations dangle long after they're finished, and Carol's protracted physical breakdowns enhance the aura of helplessness.

Though Safe had a limited theatrical run, it established Moore as one of the most challenging actresses in Hollywood, alternating high-budget, high-profile productions with memorable independent films; for Haynes, the film marked his graduation from New Queer Cinema pioneer to more rarified "maverick" status, invigorating diverse subject matter with his unique worldview."
"You can safely assume you have created God in your own image when he hates all the same people you do."

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Magnolia - delboy 07:56:03 02/21/08 (7)

Boogie Nights fersher + others - Harmonia 15:28:37 02/21/08 (0)

I thought she was excellent in "The Hours". Also The "Big Lebowski" and "Safe". nt - sjb 10:22:51 02/21/08 (3)

"Safe?" Now THAT was a pointless, vapid waste. nt - tinear 14:38:12 02/21/08 (2)

I liked it less than you did. - Duilawyer 21:18:55 02/21/08 (0)

I disagree but regardless she did a good job in the role. - sjb 15:00:19 02/21/08 (0)

"The Forgotten" is an interesting scif-fi/drama.... * - mr grits 09:49:42 02/21/08 (0)

Great Performance - Larry I 09:10:55 02/21/08 (0)

Follow Ups

I disagree but regardless she did a good job in the role. - sjb 15:00:19 02/21/08 (0)

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