Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

The Safety of Objects (2001)

Director: Rose Troche

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Based on AM Homes' short stories, this is a left-field, Short Cuts-style collage of suburban America. It's an incident filled, adventurous, sometimes over-reaching catalogue of calamities and crises that constantly cuts between and cross-references four families: the Golds, Trains, Christiansons and the Jennings. Who said the suburbs were safe or dull? Esther Gold (Close, excellent) is so guilt-ridden and absorbed in caring for her comatose son Paul, she can't relate to her daughter or husband. Helen Christianson (Place) fancies houseboy Randy, whose reticence is explained by darkly ambivalent scenes of a child's abduction. Jim Train (Mulroney) is a lawyer in mid-crack up, pinning his hopes of transcendence on a car giveaway contest at a local mall. So it goes, the consumerist nightmare in all its sad ignominy. Troche's debut Go Fish was a similarly footloose examination of gay lives. On heterosexual ground, she shows herself capable of deep empathy, and a firm admirer of the cautionary tale. The film has far too many cul-de-sacs and cross-purposes to be entirely satisfactory, but it's rarely dull, often beautifully acted and designed, and both droll and compassionate.

Author: WH 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend
Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Ang Lee talks 'Taking Woodstock'

Ang Lee talks 'Taking Woodstock'

Ang Lee talks to Tom Huddleston about his tale of the men behind history’s greatest music festival

Hippies who work for The Man

Hippies who work for The Man

To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within

Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies

Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies

Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe

Grant Heslov: interview

Grant Heslov: interview

Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer

Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace

Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace

From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'

How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life

How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life

Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations