“Safe”
Let’s take our minds off this coronavirus pandemic for a while, shall we? For an eerily suggestive drama about a different sort of viral panic, it’s an apt time to revisit director Todd Haynes’ 1995 drama about a Los Angeles an LA woman, played with a peculiar element of brainwashed calm by Julianne Moore, who believes herself to be the victim of an environmental disease. In its initial release Haynes’ film provoked various interpretations: AIDS metaphor, a suffocating marriage story where the suffering is made manifest, a minimalist evocation of psychological unraveling. Is it all in her head, or something in her everyday physical surroundings? At least with COVID-19 we know it actually there, and on the move! Streaming on sundancenow.com; 7-day free trial; memberships start at $4.99/month.
