Safe Review
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. Michael Hastings, Rovi
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