Safe House: The Movie

Source: americanreviews.com

Last Sunday I was quite tired and so was looking for a movie that I could mentally “zone out” to.  I found it in the Netflix film Safehouse, which tells the story of Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) who has been living his life selling government secrets to the highest bidder.  Hunted by other corrupt bureaucrats he finds protection in a younger version of himself Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds).

Through many gunfights and car chases, the duo eventually begin to have insight into who the other is, and what the other could be.

(Spoilers ahead).  Though the movie is actually a lot of fun, I was struck by the ending scene which struck some chords in me.  Tobin Frost is a pragmatic person who looks out only for number one.

This attitude is useful in his line of work.  As a government spy he does not spend too much time trying to determine whether what he is doing is right.  Yet, when he is face to face with death, he looks at Matt Weston, tears up, and sees the importance of goodness.

Tobin Frost comments, “You are better than me.  Be better than me.”

Death has a way of clarifying things.  Indeed when we are all on our deathbeds breathing our last, i’m sure our thoughts will not go to how much money we collected, how many “likes” we had, or what others thought of me.

I’m sure in that moment we will realize with crystal clear clarity that we were not as important as we thought we were and that the world will continue on without us just fine.  The falsehoods will peter out.

Yet at this moment, death will also show us what is truly important.  Were we good?  Did we live our lives meaningfully?  Did we love?

Death is a fact of life.  It comes for us all.  It is then important that each one of us is ready to answer these final questions well.  But then, why wait for death – why not ask them of ourselves right now?

Raj Vijayakumar is working at a retreat centre in Montreal.

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3 Comments
  • Karen Arthurs
    Posted at 08:49h, 05 October Reply

    A good reminder during this covid time for reflection.

  • Sharon Walters
    Posted at 09:47h, 05 October Reply

    Thank you! Why not now in our everyday lives!

  • Peter Bisson
    Posted at 13:07h, 05 October Reply

    Thank you Raj!

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