Safe House

There’s something oddly enticing and almost appealing about a character who is a dangerous and cunning sociopath. Look back through the history of cinema and you will find many characters of this ilk in villainous and anti-hero roles, most notably cannibalistic mass murderer Hannibal Lecter from “The Silence of the Lambs” and clown-faced criminal mastermind The Joker from “The Dark Knight.” Perhaps it’s their steely-eyed stare or their philosophical monologues, or maybe even their startling inhumanity, but for every frame in which these characters appear you are as unable to take your eyes off them as the characters in the film are.

Denzel Washington plays such a character in “Safe House,” an action-thriller in the vein of the brilliant “Bourne” trilogy. Washington’s character is Tobin Frost, an ex-CIA agent who went rogue ten years ago. Now a wanted fugitive and something of a legend in the agency he betrayed, he spends his days doing dirty deals with crooked crooks as he outruns the law and the criminal underworld, both of which seem to intertwine in certain areas.

Immediately after gaining possession of a mysterious microchip, Frost narrowly escapes an onslaught of bullets and car crashes in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. Frost then unexpectedly waltzes into a US embassy, is arrested and is taken to a private and secure CIA-owned safe house, the “housekeeper” of which is young rookie agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds, “Green Lantern”). Weston can’t believe his eyes: after 12 months of doing absolutely nothing in his safe house but wandering its empty rooms day after day, he’s standing face-to-face with Tobin friggin’ Frost, albeit through two-way glass.

And then all hell breaks loose: the safe house is ambushed and all CIA agents are killed, leaving only Frost handcuffed to a chair in the interrogation room with Weston nervously guarding him. Frost reminds Weston that he is responsible for his houseguest. “I’m your houseguest,” he says calmly. And with that, Weston flees the invaded safe house with Frost in tow, starting a battle of wits not only between them and their relentless pursuers but also between wannabe-escapee Frost and determined rookie Weston.

This is grungy, noisy, violent action stuff that, on a visual level at least, channels both Tony Scott (“Man on Fire,” “Unstoppable”) and Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” “Green Zone”). Just like in the “Bourne” trilogy, we have white-knuckle fistfights and heart-racing rooftop-leaping, destructive car chases and intricate on-foot chases. And indeed, the film is shot by the “Bourne” trilogy’s cinematographer, Oliver Wood, and looks almost identical with its shaky-cam style and frenetic editing.

For the most part, the action works like a charm; it’s fast, thrilling, loud and constant. That’s the key thing here: it’s constant. Nary a conversation goes by in the film without it being interrupted by the swinging of a fist, the pulling of a trigger or the smashing of a household object. I suppose this keeps us on the tips of our toes, but soon enough it all becomes too much and eventually gives in to monotony, especially during a climactic battle which relies on the cinematic cliché of the “unexpected bullet” about three times too many.

Reynolds and Washington are great on-screen together, so much so that the less interesting scenes between Matt and his increasingly worried girlfriend suffer by comparison. Reynolds gets to play the inexperienced rookie who goes from zero to hero within a matter of hours, while Washington gets to play a smooth, charming, manipulative and quietly cunning action man who casually leaps from troubled anti-hero to flat-out villain and back again in a heartbeat. They’re an interesting pair, sometimes at odds with each other, sometimes practically bonding, but always very watchable and rather intriguing.

There’s a strong supporting cast at hand, though their characters remain thin at best. We have Brendan Gleeson (“The Guard”) as David Barlow, a CIA pal of Weston, putting on a slightly dodgy American accent, his Irish tongue slipping out on occasion. Vera Farmiga (“Source Code”) plays Catherine Linklater, a CIA operative who works alongside David as they deal with the increasingly tricky Weston-Frost situation. There’s also talented up-and-comer Joel Kinnaman (“The Killing”) as a CIA housekeeper who takes part in a brutal, bloody fight with Weston through the walls and windows of a rural safe house as Frost watches indifferently from the distance, handcuffed to a pipe.

Stuffed with enough action clichés to keep Steven Segal’s career going for another twenty years, “Safe House” is pleasingly entertaining and sometimes exhilarating fluff that allows its two leading men to flex their muscles as well as some of their previously established acting talents. Perhaps its plot and its characters need more meat on their bones, but the relentless, rip-roaring action makes it a safe bet for junkies of the genre.

6/10