'Safety Not Guaranteed,' but satisfaction is

Aubrey Plaza, Karan Soni and Jake M. Johnson go in search of a guy who's in search of a time-travel partner. (Credit: By Benjamin Kasulke)

A charming blend of sci-fi and rom-com, Safety Not Guaranteed (**** out of four; rated R; expands Friday nationwide) delivers in both universes — and everywhere in between.

It's equally endearing as a sweetly funny romance between two likable oddballs and as a low-tech time-travel thriller, and has something profound to say about making the most of the present.

A low-budget independent film that enthralls just as powerfully as any long-awaited blockbuster, it could well become a cult classic.

Anchored by superb performances and deft writing (it won the screenwriting award at the Sundance film fest), Safety Not Guaranteed casts an enchanting spell from its opening scene.

The film is so gently winning, it almost seems slight. It's actually a fresh, funny, multilayered, character-driven story about hope, regret, overcoming fear and the redemption that comes from human connection.

It features a star-making turn by Aubrey Plaza, the sullen young misanthrope in TV's Parks and Recreation. Here, she plays Darius, a sad-eyed magazine intern whose credo is to expect the worst and try not to get her hopes up.

Equally potent in an offbeat role is Mark Duplass, who plays Kenneth, a nerdy lost soul who has placed a classified ad for a time-travel companion: "Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed."

The ad piques the interests of a cynical Seattle magazine reporter, Jeff (Jake M. Johnson), who brings along Darius and her fellow intern Arnau (Karan Soni) to track down the nutcase who wrote it.

In less capable hands than those of director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly, the characters could have come off as types, rather than dimensional people. But the filmmakers tap into their inherent humanity and avoid clichés.

The trio set out for the seaside Washington town to which they've tracked the ad's author. It's soon apparent that Jeff is more interested in reconnecting with a former flame than in journalism. When Kenneth meets the group, he is instantly put off by Jeff's glib manner. "What is that smile?" Kenneth asks him. "You don't know pain. You don't know regret."

But Darius does, and when Jeff appoints her to head the investigation, things pick up. She poses as someone responding to the ad, and her forlorn demeanor and dry wit connect with Kenneth's eccentric personality. She's drawn to the earnest Kenneth, and their chemistry builds slowly. They flirt awkwardly but tenderly.

Jeff's attempts to relive his glory days parallel the yearnings of Darius and Kenneth, speaking to a universal desire to modify the past. The time travel here has no grandiose goal. The world does not need saving, there are no alien invaders to vanquish or cataclysmic events to deter. It's just about finding solace.

Kenneth goes about his goal practically, assembling a clunky time machine with lasers stolen from a medical lab. Is he some kind of mad scientist or just mad? It's worth seeing this inspired tale to find out.

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