MOVIES . . . "SAFE"

Writer-director Todd Haynes has made a scarily confident movie about a suburban wife (Julianne Moore) who is "allergic to the 20th century." "Safe" tells of her attempts to understand and conquer her condition at a "chemical-free zone in New Mexico." Moore's beautifully acted performance gives the director the vessel to present his questions about suburbia, the environment and 12-step programs. "The brazen majesty of Haynes' approach," says Corliss, is that "he spills no secrets, makes no obvious judgments. Safe is its own unique thing."