‘The Safe House’ Review: A Malformed Family Portrait Connecting May 1968 to World War II

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During the May 1968 uprisings in Paris, Lionel Baier’s “The Safe House” offers a humorous portrayal of a family that doesn’t quite come together thematically. This film is adapted from Christophe Boltanski’s Prix Femina-winning biographical novel of the same name, which is frequently referenced through voiceovers by the author. The narrative, characterized by its quick, postmodern style with intentionally noticeable backdrops, eventually develops deeper layers as the family’s past emerges, but significant political or personal aspects fail to evoke strong emotions.

In “The Safe House,” Boltanski’s family is a source of inspiration for the script, but their identities are concealed and certain aspects of the plot are slightly altered. The main theme remains consistent: a narrative set in the periphery of one of France’s significant modern protests. Initially, the story seems to be told from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy (Ethan Chimienti), who represents Boltanski himself. However, contrary to this initial impression, the film frequently strays from the child’s viewpoint, preferring a more fragmented narrative structure that doesn’t fully capture the family’s overall dynamics, even with Ethan’s energetic performance.

In the opening scenes of “The Safe House,” the storyteller introduces us to the boy’s dynamic uncles – the younger one, Aurélien Gabrielli, who is a visual artist, and the older one, William Lebghil, who is an academic. Additionally, we meet the peculiar grandparents, Michel Blanc and Dominique Reymond, and the vibrant great-grandmother, Liliane Rovère, originally from Odessa. Although their Jewish heritage plays a significant role later in the story, it’s subtly hinted at during these early scenes through occasional references and snide comments from snobbish neighbors.

In these opening scenes, there’s an energetic vibe that somewhat resembles Jacques Tati’s work, giving us a stable foundation for the story. However, larger political issues soon pull the parents (Adrien Barazzone, Larisa Faber) out of their home environment, leaving them largely absent at first. Their absence mirrors the confined living space the family occupies. The narrative emphasizes the significance of this physical location through voiceover, but the camera seldom presents it with a feeling of spaciousness, movement, or detail.

In a subtle yet significant way, the backdrop of the May ’68 events in “The Safe House” film implies a story where politics play a minimal role or are subtly conveyed through indirect confrontations. However, this movie does set the stage for a potent drama surrounding the events, although it doesn’t delve deeply into their specifics. Instead, the family’s history as Jews during Nazi occupation is hinted at through the grandfather’s apparent PTSD symptoms (which emerge and fade unexpectedly) and through fleeting flashbacks that subtly suggest parallels between the two time periods. The only thing that seems to link them is the flow of history – the notion that “something” is happening, even though neither time period is portrayed as having a stronger historical context or personal significance.

Although the movie seems detached from its characters’ experiences, Baier effectively evokes echoes of the past in some of the performances. Blanc stands out as particularly poignant. However, the family’s narrative doesn’t often find solid footing in this haunting history. Scenes that truly connect 1968 to the 1940s are rare, and even the spectral appearance of a significant World War II figure fails to forge those links convincingly.

The film’s introduction has a playful twist, while its progression carries a solemn tone. These two aspects are primarily connected through the jazz-dominant score by Diego Baldenweg, Nora Baldenweg, and Lionel Baldenweg. In their music, familiar tones take on new shades. Unfortunately, visually and thematically, “The Safe House” doesn’t entirely meet its promise of sophisticated sound narrative. Instead, it frequently jumps between modes of expression, failing to fully grasp the depth of experience and the heavy load of personal and cultural history.

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2025-02-21 00:46