Suffers from a case of too many dramas, too little time.

A movie that never finds a consistent tone.

A richly compelling movie that is as hard to forget as it is difficult to warm up to. full review

It's a movie located in an interesting place, but without quite enough self-confidence really to inhabit it. full review

The sheer number and variety of miseries on view suggest a kind of wallowing.

In boldly departing from the safety of a strong, unifying plot, Troche makes virtual objects of her characters by showing us plenty that intrigues and not enough that enlightens. full review

Troche ... seems to be tuned into Homes' writing, but without really knowing how to translate it to a cinematic narrative.

A deftly made and poignant character study that deals with life's heartaches and its tender mercies. full review

Happiness is a Magnolia Ice Storm of American Beauty. full review

Much of the film improves as it goes, with the help of veterans Close and Clarkson. full review

The Safety of Objects doesn't expose nearly enough of the pre-traumatic to make before distinguishable from after. So the film leaves you dissatisfied, as though you'd just spent two hours with a menagerie of plastic white people. full review

I had a hard time keeping track of the members of each family from one jagged scene to the next, especially since no one says or does anything particularly interesting. full review

[Troche has] made a quantum leap in the depth and confidence of her direction, coaxing career-best perfs from everyone involved while fleshing out each storyline to maximum impact. full review

With a long running time that no amount of nonlinear construction can successfully quicken, Safety does have sequences and whole story lines that are fresh and thoughtfully entertaining.

A noble attempt that doesn't hang together. full review

This film is an acquired taste, but its fine ensemble of actors makes it easy to empathize. Very easy, in fact. full review

Conceptually, it's a good try. But even with a fine cast working near peak proficiency, The Safety of Objects gets all tangled up by its own aspirations and, ultimately, trips into a quicksand of bathos. full review

It pretends to be a meaningful slice of Americana, but only succeeds in serving masses of tedium while driving its heavy foot down its own throat. full review