Out of Sight

I'm quite fascinated by Steven Soderbergh's career ups and downs. Interesting thrillers like 'Underneath' and 'The Limey' are all but ignored, but this piece of fluff is a major hit? Go figure. George Clooney has charm and charisma, but I think he and the first class supporting cast (Rhames, Cheadle, Zahn, Brooks, Farina, Keener et al) are let down by a mundane script. Clooney and Jennifer Lopez's characters to me displayed zero chemistry, which made the plot twists difficult to swallow, and overall I really didn't care what happened to Clooney and Rhames and their robbery plans. This has got to be one of the emptiest, most overrated "modern classics" in a long time. I really can't see what's supposed to be so good about this one. About the only thing I like about it is David Holmes' soundtrack. Cool music, dull movie.

In the tradition of Get Shorty, Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown, Out Of Sight revels in loser crims, wry dialogue and flashbacks. Out Of Sight hasn't the gleefully exuberant, oops, bloodshed of Pulp Fiction or Get Shorty (not much of it anyway), or the stunning languidity of Jackie Brown but even without marked pizzazz, Out Of Sight excels. In Out Of Sight Jack Foley (George Clooney) gets busted doing a stupid bank hold up (even though he's done a couple of hundred of them), escapes from prison but then gets mixed up with U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). Foley is chasing some uncut diamonds he's heard about in prison from another crim called Ripley (Albert Brooks), but so are a bunch of other crooks. Elmore Leonard's books (other adaptations have been Get Shorty, Jackie Brown and now Out Of Sight) are full of men who are both losers and who also live on the thin side of the law. But Leonard colours these characters affectionately. Their mishaps and schemes tend to be both awful and funny. The women on the other hand tend to come out on top; they're smarter and more sensible. Out Of Sight is trashy in the nicest way. Out Of Sight of sight largely revolves around the relationship between the crook and the Marshal, between George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. George Clooney holds his place in Out Of Sight of sight pretty well but Jennifer Lopez again shines. Money Train, Anaconda, Blood And Wine, U Turn and now Out Of Sight have established the New York born actress as one of the best on the big screen these days. She adds wit and strength to a part which could have easily been flat, and didn't have to emphasise either her Latino heritage or her curvy body to do it. She makes Out Of Sight work. And then, somehow, these crooks and their crazy schemes make sense, even if running upstairs carrying a loaded gun doesn't.

When released in 1998, "Out of Sight" was Steven Soderburgh's most mainstream film to date, after he burst onto the indie scene a decade earlier with "Sex, Lies, and Videotape". Based upon the novel by Elmore Leonard ("Get Shorty", "Jackie Brown"), the movie tells the tale of odd couple Jack Foley (George Clooney), a career criminal, and federal marshall Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). After a unique first encounter, their paths continue intersecting, with various degrees of intent, to comprise the bulk of the story.

Similar to the Soderburgh-helmed "Ocean's Eleven", "Out of Sight" blends the standard apples and oranges of genres into a delicious smoothie. This is a drama, minus the driving intensity, light-hearted enough to pass as a comedy. It's a comedy, but not of the HAHA sort. The humor lies in things like Clooney's glances, JLo's relationship dilemmas, the paradox of Ving Rhames' self-righteous thief, and the sheer absurdity of Don Cheadle's gangsta. It's also a romance and a cop-and-robber story, but neither love nor crime is the whole point. All of these pieces unite to form a fantastic puzzle of a picture.

The tasty complexity is further deepened by the non-linear storytelling technique. Flashing backward here and there throughout the film is a good choice because the viewer can only fully understand the previous events with the 20/20 vision of hindsight. Plus it eliminates what could have been a painful first half hour of exposition, instead spreading the backstory through the rest of the film.

The stylistic singular color palettes for different locations that Soderburgh later used magnificently in "Traffic" are present here as well. From bright sun-drenched Florida to the ice cold blues of Detroit, this technique serves as virtual atmosphere, allowing one to determine the geography even without the convenience of titles. In a non-linear film like this, that ease in recognizing time and place facilitates comprehension of what is happening when. Unique among Soderburgh's work (to my recollection) is the film's use of occasional freeze frames. Stopping the picture for just a second or two, Soderburgh gently identifies poignant moments, obvious or not, allowing an extra moment to deservedly linger on them.

With the high technical accomplishments, the acting almost doesn't matter, but the slightly understated method works wonders. Clooney is his usual suave self, complete with snappy dialogue and a cornucopia of confidence. In a role that "Enough" can only dream about, JLo almost looks like a real actress (joke). She is absent her too-common ditziness and easily holds her own, despite being a tad too glamorous. Rhames, Cheadle, and Albert Brooks are their usual solid selves, playing parts both similar and drastically different from their wheelhouses. Everyone seems to have perspective in their parts, not utilizing excessive gravity or levity, but rather hitting the appropriate notes as they inhabit their roles to perfection. Ultimately you believe all of these actors in their parts, even if JLo's skirts are entirely too short for a federal agent.

Like "Ocean's Eleven", "Out of Sight" is a very good film, merging quality in all aspects of film-making into a fully enjoyable two hour experience. The main themes of crime and love are basic, so the movie doesn't soar to remarkable heights. But if you're looking for a brilliantly made film that you might have missed on its theatrical run, espy Out of Sight and settle in for a quirkily involving night. If you saw it a few years back, check it out again to see Soderburgh's foundation for his own excellence.

Bottom Line: A wholly absorbing movie that serves as a film-making clinic of brilliance. 8 of 10.

Chemistry so hot that they ignite the screen. Too bad it didn't ignite the Box Office, but Out Of Sight is one movie both George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez can feel damn proud of. Maybe it's the fact that George's criminal character is *actually* funny and multi-dimensional. Maybe it's the fact that the storyline actually has a story to it - and an interesting one at that. Hell - maybe it's just that J.Lo walks around in skimpy outfits - curves flaunted - and likes to kick butt. After much consideration, I must concur: it's equal parts to all 3.

Strong performances by Clooney (Jack) and Lopez (Karen), as well as George's Ocean's 11 co-star Don Cheadle. Witty script and likeable characters with a satisfying and plot-twisting ending. What more can you want? Did I hear you say Jennifer Lopez naked? Yeah well, you won't get that here... but it's good all the same!

Great film. The characters seemed believable. The dialog well written, sharp, but not overly polished, no character has a monologue. How often in the 90's do we see a thriller, or crime mystery, or a buddy film, all components the film plays with, and would consider a discussion about the script? Leonard has a way with the practical aspects of crime, the fist fight and shoot outs are awkward, characters miss their mark more often than not, they run out of gas. How often in an action film does the hero miss a shot? I'm sick to death of wildly unbelievable stories, huge explosions and car chases. The photography is very well done and the soundtrack is fantastic. Of particular note is the editing, of which the film received an oscar nomination. One of the best love scenes in a contemporary film. What you hope you get with an adult crime movie, sleek, smart and sexy.