The Safety of Objects (2003)

Powerful

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Beautiful, moving film.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Attracted by the strange title I decided to watch the movie for an explanation. Having watched the film I was none the wiser and somewhat confused with the interweaving of four short stories There were lots of characters in these four families (too many for me) and what might have been an interesting expose of their lives turned out to be very ordinary.I have to say the actors did well in their individual roles but as characters they failed to get me involved in their every day lives. I thought Glenn Close did quite a remarkable interpretation of a mother grieving over her first born son. The plastic bag scene was the high light of the film. It was done with such emotional intensity. Very little of the remainder of the film reached this high standard.It is not a cheerful film. Very few of the characters seemed to be really happy. All had their problems. Perhaps it was all too much like real life. And if you cannot find solace in other human beings you must look beyond for other objects.Isn't it true that during our lives we surround ourselves with familiar objects that give us a sense of security? You know the feeling that one gets after arriving home after a very long journey. A certain warm glow pervades your being because this is home, this is security, so much is familiar and you find at last the desired safety of objects.

This movie contained some excellent characterizations, esp. by Glenn Close, Dermot Mulroney, Patricia Clarkson, Mary Kay Place and others. But with those actors, and all of their "children" in the story, it made my brain hurt to try and keep track of everybody and what connection one person had to the other. I had really wished that the movie had fewer characters, thus allowing the best stories to be expanded upon rather than trying to do it all. I prefer movies that truly absorb me, where I root for a character or at very least, want to see what happens to them. There was just so much going on here that I cared for a second here and a second there. The appreciation of films is very subjective. I have really liked many films that have had many characters because they were so well done that everything came together. When this film ended, I still wasn't clear on much. Maybe that's just my tired brain. The film had some thought-provoking stories and wasn't close to what I'd classify as a bad film. It just wasn't something I could appreciate as much as I'm sure others have.

The first time I saw this movie, I didn't like it. I decided to give it a second watch because it was such a good cast, and it left a creepy, haunting feeling with me, I thought: what was that? The movie is difficult to watch, its not entertaining and I can't say that it's very good. The philosophical underpinning is revealed titularly, and there is nothing very interesting about it, its like, yeah we know... I gave the movie 7 out of 10 only because Glenn Close is ridiculously good. Its really one of the most interesting female performances of late. The barbie doll thing was a bit disturbing, but the director deserves a break for taking chances that are not commercial. Worth looking at. Good Cast. Is the movie supposed to be weird, or did someone make a mistake? Glenn's great.

This tale of the intersecting lives of several suburban families has its moments, but not enough of them, and it is ultimately incoherent and uninvolving. Glenn Close tries very hard to be the tragic figure that the story requires but the plight of her comatose son is never quite real and the final scene in which she smothers him in plastic is nowhere near as convincing (or terrifying) as the scene in House of Sand and Fog where the Persian exile kills his wife and then commits suicide himself using the same method. In this film, it is a completely antiseptic act, and it is without consequences for the mother. Most of the other episodes in the movie are even less persuasive because less well acted.