masked film critic

The attention-grabbing beginning of this movie finds two scam artists, having accidentally killed a victim, stumbling on the possibility of blackmailing a football star, and setting in motion a quirky road movie with hints of black humour.

I have to say, this sketchy synopsis recalls the type of plotline the Coen brothers might use. This is slightly misleading - the film is darker, less gimmicky and ultimately less fun than standard Coen brothers fare - but nonetheless the film does share several of the brothers' failings - noticeably an inability to create a consistent tone or convincing psychologies for the lead characters. We know the most important character suffered severe trauma as a child, yet we learn little about her other than that, and her boyfriend seems an even bigger mystery.

Also, to illustrate the problems the film has with tone, the film has noirish themes, but has incongruously bright sunny photography. It also contains one brilliantly funny sequence, in which a cop finds he knows his partner less well than he thought, but frankly this scene looks like it comes from another movie.

However, the film is always watchable. It does look attractive, even if its main stylistic tic - continual jump cuts, presumably in homage to Godard - does jar after a while. Moreover, a brash, confident central performance from Frances O'Connor definitely holds the attention, and I did feel that I cared for her basically hard-to-like character.

Although the film is only a partial success, it still looks like the type of film that could develop a cult following.

"Out of Sight" is one of those films that goes down as easily as a Czech beer on a hot day. In fact, it is so assured, so easy to watch that it is easy to forget how meticulously it is constructed and how every detail is spot-on. The cinematography is cool, detached and luxurious. The script is subtle in its twists, and negotiates some tricky flashbacks without losing the narrative flow. There's a excellent score, laid back but funky. Finally, of course, there are the performances. Clooney and Lopez have both been in some terrible films, but here both generate a remarkable chemistry, despite only having a few scenes together. Lopez, indeed, is a revelation - intelligence, smouldering sensuality, and an effortless charm entirely in keeping with the film's aesthetic. Of course, this effect will be ruined the next time I see one of her tacky music videos on MTV. However, it is a mark of the film's quality that smaller roles are no less accomplished - note the estimable Catherine Keener, who only has two scenes to make an impact, but adds a deliciously quirky presence. Also, Steve Zahn, as the pothead loser, is funny throughout - note how his look is based on Dennis Hopper in "Easy Rider". As I say, the details are everything.

That European cinema did things differently in the 1960s is not in doubt, as even directors from little-renowned cinematic cultures such as Yugoslavia delighted in new-found freedom. On one hand, "Switchboard Operator" is a simple tale of love, betrayal and tragedy in Belgrade, and as such captures some touching details about trapped lives in a totalitarian society. However, director Dusan Makavejev, clearly under the influence of Godard, adopts an offhand approach to his narrative, and introduces extraneous material at tangents to the main story. Most of this stuff is fascinating, particularly when he uses archive footage of Yugoslav history. Less successful are the interjections of two tedious academics, a sexologist and a criminologist, whose stern pronouncements jar against the film's capricious tone. Nonetheless, this is invigorating film-making which reaches into some strange regions. Despite an economical running time of 69 minutes, the film even finds time for a brief history of how the grey rat infested Europe!