SafeHouse is a 2012 American action thriller film directed by Daniel Espinosa, written by David Guggenheim, and starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. The film follows Matt Weston (Reynolds), a CIA officer on a low-level posting in Cape Town, South Africa, who is in charge of a safe house where the CIA is interrogating Tobin Frost (Washington), a veteran operative accused of betraying the agency. When the safe house is attacked by mercenaries, Weston flees with Frost in his charge. As the team of killers, who seem to be one step ahead of the pair, track them throughout Cape Town, Weston wonders who to trust. Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Rubn Blades, Nora Arnezeder and Robert Patrick co-star.
Safe House was Espinosa's first English-language film. Filming took place on location in Cape Town. The film premiered in New York City on February 7, 2012, and was released in U.S. theaters on February 10, 2012, by Universal Pictures.[4] The film earned mixed reviews, with praise for Washington and Reynolds' performances, but negative criticisms for the screenplay and the editing of the action scenes. Nevertheless, Safe House was a commercial success, earning $208 million worldwide against an $85 million budget.[3]
In Cape Town, South Africa, junior CIA officer Matt Weston is serving as a "housekeeper", an operative in charge of securing and maintaining a local CIA safe house in case of an operation. He calls his mentor and immediate superior David Barlow, inquiring about a station in Paris. He hopes to move there with his live-in girlfriend Ana, a young French physician about to start her residency. Barlow tells him he is likely underqualified for the position, which frustrates Matt as he has not had a "houseguest" during his year-long tenure and thus has been unable to gain field experience. Barlow promises to revisit the issue in a few months.
Elsewhere in Cape Town, ex-CIA NOC operative turned international criminal Tobin Frost acquires a data storage device from rogue MI6 officer Alec Wade. A team of mercenaries attacks them and kills Wade. Frost flees and, out of options, surrenders to the American consulate.
A team led by veteran Daniel Kiefer transfers Frost to Weston's safe house in order to interrogate him for intelligence before he returns to the US. Weston watches uneasily as Kiefer's team waterboards Frost. The mercenaries, led by Vargas, attack the safe house and kill Kiefer and his team. Weston escapes with Frost.
Weston contacts Barlow at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, along with Catherine Linklater, the operative in charge of Frost's interrogation and Kiefer's superior, and CIA Deputy Director Harlan Whitford, who is overseeing the operation. Linklater orders Weston to lie low and await further instructions.
Weston contacts Ana, giving her a cover story that his office has been threatened and suggesting she stay with friends when it appears their apartment is under surveillance. Barlow tells him to go to Cape Town Stadium where he retrieves a GPS device containing the location of another safe house, but Frost creates a diversion and escapes. Weston, detained by the police, escapes and is forced to fire at them.
Frost's escape gets reported. After hearing that Weston fired at the police, Linklater orders him to visit the nearest American embassy for debriefing. When Whitford tells him, "We'll take it from here", Weston decides to pursue Frost himself as Frost had warned him that when he heard that particular sentence is when Weston should become concerned about his own safety. Linklater and Barlow go to South Africa themselves. En route, Linklater suggests that Weston has joined Frost, which Barlow refutes.
Weston tracks Frost to a township in Langa, where Frost meets Carlos Villar, an old friend and document forger, who provides him with travel documents but suggests that he leave his life of crime behind. Vargas' team attacks again, killing Carlos and his family, but Weston helps Frost escape.
Weston brutally interrogates one of Vargas' wounded mercenaries, who reveals that Vargas is working for the CIA, which is seeking to retrieve the storage device from Frost. As they bandage their wounds, Frost urges Weston not to kill innocent people, telling the story of how he was forced to kill an air traffic controller while on a mission. He later learned that he was simply part of a plot to assassinate a whistle-blower who would expose wetwork committed by the CIA.
Weston takes Frost to the new safe house, where Weston keeps the housekeeper, Keller, at gunpoint. Keller attacks and severely wounds Weston before Weston kills him. Frost reveals the device contains evidence of corruption and bribery involving the CIA, MI6, and other intelligence agencies, put together from a Mossad intelligence report. Frost leaves Weston, who passes out from blood loss.
Barlow kills Linklater and travels to the safe house where he reveals that he is Vargas' employer. He confirms that the file contains incriminating evidence against him, and encourages Weston to lie about what has happened. Frost returns and kills Vargas' team but is fatally wounded by Barlow. Weston then shoots and kills him. As he dies, Frost gives Weston the file, saying he is a better man than Frost.
Back in the United States, Weston meets with Director Whitford, who informs him that unflattering facts about the CIA must be removed from his report, but that he will be promoted. When asked about the file's location, Weston denies knowing about it. Whitford states that whoever has those files will have many enemies. Weston assures him that he will "take it from here, shakes Whitford's hand, and leaves.
Weston leaks the files to the media, incriminating personnel from many intelligence agencies, including Whitford. He then travels to Paris and covertly observes Ana while she sits with friends in a cafe. She notices him across the street and smiles before he walks away, content that she is safe.
Tobin Frost: That house was a secure location. Whoever crashed it didn't stop by a gas station and ask for directions to the nearest safe house. They were invited. Someone told them, Matthew. Think about it. Someone you know, so you better ask yourself, can you trust your landlord?
Tobin Frost: I already am in your head. They're going to isolate you, Matt. They're going to be real nice to you at first. They're going to put their arm around you and tell you things like, "You did a decent job, son. We'll take it from here." That's when you know you're screwed. Forget about me, they're going to focus on you. They're going to try and make a connection between you and I. So that if this all goes wrong, they'll have something to fall back on in their little Senate hearings. I'm not your only enemy tonight.
Unfortunately, in addition to the roof needing dire attention, our walkways and one of our building staircases desperately need to be repaired and upgraded. We have a very large goal with cost estimated to be around $100,000 to complete the work. This will be a huge financial undertaking and we are calling on the community for support.
Please consider giving a gift to the youth in our community by donating to our fundraiser to improve the building that provides so many services to those that need it most!
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive Operation SafeHouse reserves the right to revise or change job duties as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.
Operation SafeHouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment is based on experience, training and ability to work without regard to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, creed, color, national origin, marital status, age or disability.
Operation SafeHouse maintains a drug free workplace. The use, possession, distribution or sale of alcohol, marijuana or any illegal drug while on SafeHouse property, while on duty, while on on-call status, or while operating a vehicle for the transportation of clients is strictly forbidden. In addition, no staff member may report for work or remain at work while under the influence of or impaired by any illegal drug, marijuana or alcohol. Any violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action including immediate termination of employment.
The CBITS facilitator will work in a collaborative manner with another CBITS facilitator and is responsible scheduling meetings with administrators of the schools to begin CBITS in those schools, for the provision of group sessions during the academic year, along with individual student, parent and teacher sessions.
About the program: CBITS is an evidence based cognitive behavioral program to help reduce symptoms of PTSD and increase resilience in youth ages 10-15 years old. The program consists of 10 group sessions,
1-3 individual sessions for exposure to trauma memory, 2 parent education sessions and 1 teacher/school personal educational session. The idea of including teachers and parents is to help them understand how PTSD works, what to look for and how to help the youth who are suffering from these symptoms. CBITS is specifically designed to be implemented in schools and Operation SafeHouse provides CBITS in Lake Elsinore USD, Nuview Union School District, Alvord, Banning, Coachella Valley, Desert Sands, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, Val Verde, and Hemet USD upon request, funded by Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health (formally known as Riverside County Department of Mental Health) Prevention and Early Intervention Department.
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