Premise: The action-espionage-thriller tells the story of a YOUNG CIA agent who becomes the only survivor after a CIA safe house attack, and must help a dangerous prisoner avoid being killed as they escape to a second safe house, “outmaneuvering various forces that want them both dead.”
About: Universal purchased David Guggenheim’s spec SAFE HOUSE for $600k against $900k, winning out against two other movie studios in a bidding war. He’s the brother of two other Hollywood players and would seem he’s making his own name for himself. He just sold PUZZLE PALACE to Summit for similar money and also has another project with McG titled, MEDALLION. Universal nabbed the spec after a multi-studio bidding war. Scott Stuber (THE WOLFMAN) will produce.
Genre: Espionage-Action-Thriller
Writer: David Guggenheim
Details: 117 pages (undated)
Reader: Matthew Klekner
Related Viewing: WANTED, SPY GAMES, MIDNIGHT RUN, EAGLE EYE, 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR, ENEMY OF THE STATE, 16 BLOCKS.
Synopsis: We open on a bedroom and see MATT WESTON (an eager 25 year old) waking up in the best way imaginable – by making love to a 23 year old Brazilian Beauty (ANA). He’s got to go to work; she doesn’t want him to. She figures out a way to get him to stay a little bit longer and most people can relate to the situation (minus the Brazilian). They’ve been together 6 months and they are in the prime of their lives.
We see Matt go to work in the slum of Rio De Janeiro. On the way he calls his family back home: Mom is terminally sick, they need more money for her treatment and everybody wishes he’d come visit.
Matt arrives at a run down building, filled with run down people and uses a special key to enter a magical room: sound proofed, no windows, bare walls and floors, bottled water, red bull and packets of blood in the fridge. This is his ‘Safe House.’
Matt is an underling for the CIA, the lowest field position available. He’s a “housekeeper” who manages the place and makes sure it’s in order when CIA operatives come calling. We see him call into his “Landlord” to see if there are any bookings: No new company to speak of.
Matt works out, assembles his pistol and calls his recruiter BARLOW to chat about an intel paper he wrote. Matt is striving to be something other than a housekeeper but no opportunity has presented itself. Barlow reminds him of his place in the pecking order: at the bottom.
At a strip club on the other side of town is TOBIN FROST, a 55 year old ex-CIA field officer. He’s now a free agent but was one of the best (A Legend). He’s a great foil for Matt. He’s there to see MILAN MAXIM a 33 year old Serbian to buy some intel with some dirty names on it (you find that out a little later). Across the street a shady, ex-paramilitary – EMILE VARGAS waits to shoot Frost upon leaving the building. Frost inject himself with what will later be revealed to be the intel and pays a man to walk out the front door with the briefcase. As soon as he does, his head explodes.
Bullets fly, foot chase ensues into public, more bullets fly, Frost is shot, put between a tree and a hard place. Vargas has him pinned. Just a few blocks away is the American Embassy. Frost makes a dash for safety. Upon getting inside, facial recognition software picks him up with a match and Frost is brought into custody. The Americans send Frost over to Matt’s safe house with an interrogation team. End of Act 1.
The interrogation team wants information from Frost. In the only way it knows how, the CIA tries to electro shock it out of him. Matt is uncomfortable with this but his eyes are about to open even wider. The lights shut off and mercenaries compromise the Safe House. Everyone inside is killed, except for Matt, who escapes with Frost, through a hatch in the floor. Matt has a backpack with money, passports and gun and he throws Frost into the trunk of a Yugo. Frost breaks out of the trunk and attacks Matt with a seatbelt. They crash.
Matt hot wires another vehicle, handcuff’s Frost in the passenger seat and calls BARLOW. Barlow will hook him up with a key, let’s Matt know the CIA wants him to come in. Matt drags Frost to a soccer stadium next to pick up the key to the next “Safe House” (Why would the CIA put the key THERE of all places?) Frost escapes, Matt is captured by local police. We find out that Matt is now a wanted terror suspect. Matt breaks free, finds Frost and continues onward with Frost in tow. The CIA sends in a couple “freelancers” to take both of them out and Vargas has not stopped chasing them either. Frost tries to escape every opportunity he’s given but Frost and Matt are in a dog fight for their lives as they try to make it to the second Safe House several hours drive away. Frost is impressed with Matt’s resolve and Matt is secretly looking for Frost’s affirmation.
Money has been deposited into Matt’s account. He’s being set up by someone on the inside, someone that knows where the Safe Houses are and all the players involved. As we move from one action set piece to another, the banter between Frost and Matt centers on how wet behind the ears Matt is. This is his first rodeo and it shows. Frost argues with Matt on how idealistic he is, how the world of espionage isn’t cut and dry and how Matt needs to look at the bigger game going on, a game that he is just a pawn in. This begins to sink in over time. Frost might very well be cynical, but in many ways he’s also right. Matt has convictions and he sticks to them. That’s an admirable trait.
The 2nd act consists of action and more action. There’s nothing wrong with that but it does seem a little tedious. There are lots of great guns and hand to hand fighting, lot’s of carnage and stuff blowing up as well. Frost escapes and Matt follows in several trivial ways. Obviously action descriptions are very dependent on how it’s filmed, which allows a director to bring his own touch and feel to the movie. This could be either good or bad, just depends on the ability of the director. Is it Tony Scott or is it James McTeigue?
As the two of them make their way into the final act there a couple twists to find out who is pulling the strings. CIA operatives from Langley fly over night and the question remains: Are they friend or foe? The 3rd act begins when everyone reaches the 2nd Safe House and people’s loyalties are made known. It’s not very surprising however when it all does finally shake down and Matt’s choice in the end seems suspect to me. I was hoping for more of a ‘Mission Impossible’ (the 1st one) style ending that never comes.
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The point of this story is the character arc of Matt. He starts out naive and a perfect “Company Man,” but as the training wheels come off, we see him grow into a much more aware operative and realistic of both his employers and his job choices. His character is perfect for Hollywood which is clamoring for more roles for actors in their early 20’s. The role doesn’t require him to act much either, which is a bonus for the exact same reason. However his arc never comes to it’s fruition due to the very lame ‘cop out’ in the end. * SPOILER* Matt spends the whole movie proving he can be an agent and then….walks away in the end.
The secondary and supporting characters need a little work. This can come through added dialogue as well as character traits to flesh out their mannerisms. Vargas is a perfect example. While he isn’t the *true* villain in the story, he should represent a much purer evil and ruthlessness. He’s reduced to being a rogue element used to suddenly show up and complicate action. That’s OK, but it does diminish his potential a bit.
Frost’s character as well left me a little under satisfied. His dialogue is great but his actions do not prove to me that he is the badass he once was. Sure he can handle a weapon, but his “escapes” from Matt do not verge on the “Bond Like” person he should be. This man is supposed to be a legend but the script never treats him like one, especially when being held captive by a kid. I also feel like Frost represents a missed opportunity to teach and instruct Matt along the way. More information should be imparted to Matt, the tricks of the trade that can only come in the form of real world espionage experience. Matt knows all the stuff in the manual. What he lacks is the resourcefulness of what’s not. He KINDA gets that though.
Matt wrote his thesis paper on Frost. This comes into play only ONCE and it should come into play more. Matt wrote a SECOND paper on Key Surveillance Threats. It’s planted early but never pays off and it should. Matt can take apart and put together a pistol in 30 seconds. This also does not pay off.
The relationship between Frost and Matt should also resolve around WHY Frost turned into a rogue agent. Everyone makes Frost out to be a bad guy. We ultimately realize he’s not and I personally want to know what the straw was that broke the camel’s back. This should be a revelation for Matt. Matt thinks he knows everything about this man, only more proof of how naïve he is. This relationship needs to go both ways and Matt needs to impart or impress Frost enough to justify the events of the 3rd act when Frost saves his butt. Frost needs to get something or learn something about himself through Matt, if nothing more than redemption. Even secondary characters need an arc.
I also would’ve liked a few more twists before the final act. Specifically the issue of WHO is behind the scenes in the CIA. The script does a bait and switch over this, but the payoff is very easy to figure out. By the time we hit the 3rd act climax we already know who it is. We should find this info out at the very last minute, at the same moment our main character finds out. There’s no reason to show your hand to the audience. All in all, however, ‘Safe House’ is a pretty safe bet.
[ ] What the hell did I just read?
[ ] wasn’t for me
[X] worth the read
[ ] impressive
[ ] genius
So why did it sell? – These aforementioned issues are easily addressed and are by no means deal breakers. The script is still fast-paced – balls to the wall action. There are several of these types of scripts making the rounds. ABDUCTION sold for a million with a similar but different take on how to turn a 20 year old into a future action star (Tayler Lautner.) It’s now going into production with John Singleton at the helm. This script is better than that, just without the star attachment.
The best thing to take away from reading this script is how lean and mean it is. The action isn’t wasted or bogged down by overly wordy exposition. Guggenheim is not a verbose writer. This is to his credit. Descriptions do not sell scripts (especially action scripts) characters, plot and structure do. This script is a fast read for fast action that has developed characters, raising stakes and complications that affect plot. There’s a clearly defined goal and moral choices along the way. It also helps that it’s a great vehicle for a burgeoning Hollywood stud and an aging Hollywood action hero coming in from the pastures. Given a good director and charismatic casting, this one could easily start a franchise.