whoiskevinjones What happens when you watch Safe (1998) and you identify with Carol White?To many observers Carol's condition must seem unimaginable. But to someone dealing with deep depression and anxiety this portrayal hits very close to home. The only salvation provided is that when everything is stripped away the self remains. For many that may sound incomprehensible but for Carol and myself, the finding of self is the only chance at salvation.Watch and see how closely you empathize with Carol. Like me, you may want to watch it alone and keep an open mind.

rzajac Put simply, it's probably best to describe this as a portrait of a certain type of neurosis. Some folks out there are going to relate especially well to the images in this flick. I'm reminded of Linklater's "Slacker", NOT in the sense that the two flicks address precisely the same thing, but rather that both flicks show you lifestyle choices/crises down the side lanes of otherwise normal American life. I felt the same way at the end of "Safe" as I did "Slacker": Whaddayaknow... someone made a movie about the kinds of folks I used to hang with.Haynes is a wonder. "Safe" is at the same time all these things (and no doubt a few others beside): It's a loving AND clinical portrait, a deep psychological thriller (to the extent you find it compelling), it could very well be a cautionary tale, it finds the line between straight-up narrative and documentary and dances on that line with incredible skill.If you are willing to invest your attention in an enormously artful film with no pat, happy ending--and in fact a burden of unresolved lostness-- watch it. Just be ready to ask yourself how much of Carol White there may be in YOU.

gavin6942 An affluent and unexceptional homemaker (Julianne Moore) in the suburbs develops multiple chemical sensitivity.Although much of the film is not noteworthy for its cinematography beyond the coloring (lots of green), there is one scene that features the most terrifying process of getting a perm... almost as terrifying as Haynes' obsession with AIDS."Safe" was voted the best film of the 1990s in the 1999 Village Voice Film Poll, though it does not seem to have gained the same reputation from general audiences. IMDb rates it a bit low, as does Rotten Tomatoes, and the awards overlooked the film. Jessica Harper appears as Joyce, and that makes the film worth seeing whether or not it has awards.At times the film seems like a subtle attack on Scientology, not unlike "The Master"... and yet, the film also seems sincere. Maybe there is something to be said about making life simple, avoiding chemicals, and other things... maybe.

Joanne Clark I saw this the other day and had high hopes, having seen Far from Heaven featuring Julianne Moore which was a stunning film. On a positive note I thought it was beautifully shot and well acted. The 1980's setting was bang on, the clothes, colours and texture of the movie as accurate a picture of the decade as I've seen on film. I loved the soundtrack, reminded me of the first Terminator film. I have real problems with the narrative here, mainly because early on the film hints at something insidious or dark to come. This drives you along but unfortunately it becomes a little 'Channel 5 afternoon movie', American films about domestic dramas. The ending is a real let down..no spoiler here but it's almost as if the studio insisted on coming up with a credible reason for her ailment and the movie loses it's power.