Safe House (1998) Reviews

• Fascinating premise and interesting movie

  TRoweTraining2006-04-08

  The concept of making the audience wonder whether the hero is really being threatened or is the victim of delusions, has been used several times recently. I enjoyed this take on it better than most and I love Patrick Stewart in any role! I hadn't expected it to be so heart-wrenching at times, but it was. One scene, in which Mace (P.S.)is doing a cognitive test for his doctor, was particularly effective. As a result, this was not only a suspense movie it had some very realistic portrayals of the slow but steady mental decline of Alzheimer's victims--and how tragic that is, as they realize it is happening. I think I appreciated that accurate and informational aspect as much as I did the mystery of Mace's activities with his complex computer set-up. I watched this while walking on my treadmill and usually do a movie in two sessions. This one kept me going through the entire time.

• Excellent thriller

  TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews2004-06-26

  This is a film about paranoia. When you think you're being watched, your every move being documented, your every action recorded and analyzed. Mace Sowell, an ex-military officer from a covert operations team no one knows about, is confined to his home, because he fears for his life. His daughter doesn't think that he is in danger, instead, she just thinks he's getting senile, or maybe he's just paranoid. He regularly runs 'drills' in order to keep himself prepared for any direct strike on his house. Meanwhile, he also discovers that he's slowly developing Alzheimer's Disease, which only makes things worse. The plot is great, the idea is quite original, and the movie moves along at a great pace; every scene has some development in the plot, and often it also has some great humor. The film delivers a great sense of paranoia all the way through. The acting is great, both by Patrick Stewart and Kimberly Williams. The consistent paranoia, the various intense scenes that are easily explained once they're over, the overall mood of the film, it all leads up to an exciting climax that only few will be able to figure out until it happens. All in all, a great thriller about paranoia. I recommend this to fans of thrillers, especially fans that are fond of conspiracy theories and paranoia in thrillers. 8/10

• The less you pre-know of the plot the more you'll enjoy this film

  Grandlk.2000-03-29

  My one line summary is a reworking of the tag line "The less you know, the safer you are". Reading the original synopsis on IMDB gives too much away. If you haven't read it - don't. Just RUN to the store and rent this video. Be like me and don't read the synopsis on the box either. Just take my word for it and that of the anonymous author of the very well written comments that precede mine. This is a GREAT movie. It's witty, falling down funny, sad as blazes, suspenseful, and exciting. Stewart and Williams are dynamite together.

• Simply put, you will not see a better movie this year

  Verbal-171999-05-02

  What an incredible movie this is! Patrick Stewart masterfully portrays a rich man who is trying to come to grips with the threat of Alzheimer's, and is plagued with paranoia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is nothing like Stewart has ever done before, and he deserves an Oscar more than any of the nominees this year did. Kimberly Williams (the bride in Father of the Bride) plays a psychiatrist who is assigned by the man's daughter to help him keep hold of his sanity, and the movie (most of the time) is about their growing relationship, which thankfully stays out of tired old romantic cliches and feels very real and very interesting to watch. It will no doubt remind many of movies like Rain Man and Good Will Hunting, and it is just as good, if not better, than them. It manages to be funny, touching, powerful, and clever, all in about equal doses. And rather than just confine itself to this plot, it moves back and forth between his paranoia and flirting with the notion that it may not be completely unfounded. Yet despite this jumping back and forth, it never fails to be as entertaining and interesting as any movie you'll see this year. This is a wonderful, highly overlooked gem of a movie, and I suggest you give it a look if you get the chance.

• Patrick Stewart Shines

  sddavis632001-07-19

  Every time I see Patrick Stewart I become more and more impressed by this actor's versatility. From Shakespeare to SciFi, from drama to suspense to historical epic, Stewart does it all, and does it very well. With "Safe House," Stewart demonstrates a wide range of talent, including - what I enjoyed most - a flair for subtle comedy, unexpected in a movie billed as a suspense flick. I have to admit first off that if you're looking for a hair-raising, edge of your seat thriller, look elsewhere. I spent a lot more of my time sitting back chuckling than I did on the edge of my seat - and I mean that positively. This was a very funny movie in many ways, laced with some tense moments. Stewart plays Mace Sowell, a man suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, who tries to convince his daughter Michelle (played by Joy Kilpatrick) that the life she thought he had lived had been a lie, and that he had really been a military intelligence officer whose life was now in danger because of the things he knew. She, of course, assumes that her father is delusional because of the Alzheimer's, and hires a caregiver (Andi Travers, played by Kimberley Williams in a pretty decent performance) who Sowell distrusts from the start, but finally begins to warm up to. There's the outline of a pretty suspenseful movie there, except for one basic fault: I had this thing figured out within about 10-15 minutes of the opening! It's very predictable. However, I must confess that the decision to have Sowell suffering from Alzheimer's throws a wild card into this, and there were a few times when, with the twists and turns that happen, and with Sowell's obvious confusion, I began to doubt what I had assumed would happen. So it definitely managed to hold my interest. Stewart, in addition to some wonderfully funny scenes, also showed his dramatic flair as he portrays Sowell struggling with his emotions as he confronts the disease beginning to ravage his mind. Most of the other performances in the movie are solid but unspectacular. I frankly found the character of Stuart (played by Craig Shoemaker) to be nothing less than irritating. Why he had to play almost every scene at least partly impersonating a famous actor was beyond me, and I really just wanted him to go away after a while. Hector Elizondo as Dr. Simon, Sowell's psychiatrist, was underused and offered little. Basically, though, this is a pretty good movie. I'd rate it as a 7/10.