Safe House (2012)

A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge.

Director:

Daniel Espinosa

Writer:

David Guggenheim

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Tobin Frost
Ryan Reynolds	...	Matt Weston
Vera Farmiga	...	Catherine Linklater
Brendan Gleeson	...	David Barlow
Sam Shepard	...	Harlan Whitford
Rubén Blades	...	Carlos Villar (as Ruben Blades)
Nora Arnezeder	...	Ana Moreau
Robert Patrick	...	Daniel Kiefer
Liam Cunningham	...	Alec Wade
Joel Kinnaman	...	Keller
Fares Fares	...	Vargas
Jenna Dover	...	CIA Analyst
Stephen Rider	...	CIA Analyst
Daniel Fox	...	CIA Analyst
Tracie Thoms	...	CIA Analyst

Storyline

Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a CIA rookie who is manning a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, when Tobin Frost ('Denzel Washington' ) the CIA's most wanted rogue agent is captured and taken to the safe house. During Frost's interrogation, the safe house is overtaken by mercenaries who want Frost. Weston and Frost escape and must stay out of the gunmen's sight until they can get to another safe house.

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Plot Keywords:

safe house | cia | cia agent | on the run | consulate | 

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Taglines:

No One Is Safe

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence throughout and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA South Africa

Language:

English Afrikaans Spanish

Release Date:

10 February 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Protegiendo al enemigo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$85,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$40,172,720 (USA) (10 February 2012)

Gross:

$126,149,655 (USA) (11 May 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Bluegrass Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sam Worthington, Shia LaBeouf, Andrew Garfield, James McAvoy, Taylor Kitsch, Garrett Hedlund, Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hardy, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pine were among those considered for the role of Matt Weston.

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Goofs

There is no train station right by the Cape Town Stadium.

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Quotes

[from trailer]
Matt Weston: How am I supposed to get more experience by staring at four walls all day?

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Connections

Followed by Safe House 2

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Soundtracks

"No Church in the Wild"
Written by Kanye West, Jay-Z (as Shawn Carter), Mike Dean, Charles Njapa, Gary Wright, Phil Manzanera, James Brown, Joseph Maloy Roach, The Dream (as Terius Nash), Frank Ocean
Performed by Kanye West & Jay-Z featuring Frank Ocean
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Contains a sample of "Don't Tell a Lie About Me and I Won't Tell the Truth About You"
Performed by James Brown
Courtesy of Universal Records
and Contains a sample of "Sunshine Help Me"
Performed by Spooky Tooth
Courtesyof Universal-Island Records Ltd.
and Contains a sample of "K-Scope"
Performed by Phil Manzanera
Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd.
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

"Safe House" is a exhilarating action thriller with explosive stunts and sequences.

One of the CIA's most wanted, Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), is back on the run after a ten-year disappearance. This alerts the CIA and sends their team to a gripping chase in Cape Town, South Africa. At a remote location, the CIA's safe house is guarded by a rookie operative, Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds). The house have been empty for years, involving no guests or action. At the arrival of Frost and the intelligence, a brutal investigation occurs. Phased by the presence of a notorious criminal, Weston becomes nervous and confused. In the midst of questioning, mercenaries invade the house and begins a killing spree in an effort to kidnap Frost as well. Frost reminds Weston, that as a house guest, he is to be protected. This sends Weston to a dizzying panic and eventually escapes along with Frost.

"Safe House" is a exhilarating action thriller with explosive stunts and sequences. The team behind the film stages multiple exciting scenes that involve beat down rooftops in the rural areas as well as heart-stopping car chases along the streets. Frost is an intelligent man. Being a former intelligence, who's gone rogue, he knows the rules and procedures. Most of the time, he's fascinated by watching Weston carry out his duties. Weston is continuously conflicted, looking for ways to hide Frost. Yet, Frost never makes it easy for him, as he tries to escape as well. Weston communicates with one of his supervisors, David Barlow (Brendan Gleeson), to determine their next move. But, the gunmen are determined to kill Frost, forcing Weston to take matters into his own hands.

Denzel Washington is an actor full of intensity. He can sit there and watch Reynolds do his thing and still convey the deepest of his character's emotions. He gives Frost both a terrifying presence and a sympathetic feel. Ryan Reynolds, on the other hand, manages to stand along Washington and give the same intensity. His wits and charisma works perfectly for his distressed rookie persona. The film succeeds best because of this tandem, allowing the actors to build a good enough relationship to carry out the entire film.

"Safe House" is a great action thriller with non-stop action. This is the first mainstream feature for Daniel Espinosa and he comes forth as promising due to his skillful camera work with the action scenes. One of the most impressive is the rooftop chase at night. The editing is pitch perfect as it allows the audience to feel the danger of the situation from each point of view. This film could have been bleak and predictable if the leads were miscast but Washington and Reynolds' enigma make the film satisfyingly fun and fresh.

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