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"The Lookout" is the kind of film there needs to be more of.

It's a pleasant, simple genre piece, unambitious, but solidly crafted with strong writing and good acting. That's a formula that is hard to find in current Hollywood movies, and it's woefully under-appreciated.

Gordon Joseph-Levitt has proved himself as a very good young actor, and on the strengths of this movie and last year's "Brick" has shown a flair for picking original projects. In this movie, he plays Chris Pratt, former king of his rural Kansas high school, now a janitor and night watchman in a dead end job at a bank after a car accident leaves his brain addled. A group of small-time hoods convince him to join their plan to rob the bank at which Chris works, preying on his need for friends and his feeling that control of his own life has been taken away. But things go badly, Chris finds out he's been used as little more than a dupe, and he gets a chance to take control when he ends up with all of the stolen money that the hoods desperately want back.

This movie belongs to that genre of films about the kinds of hopeless crime that occur out in the wide open spaces of Nowheresville, U.S.A. It's a movie whose impact relies on good plotting, pacing and suspense rather than graphic violence, and unlike so many of the films Hollywood has been producing lately, it doesn't leave you feeling awful and gloomy.

Jeff Daniels, who in recent years has become one of my favorite actors, does more fine work as Chris's blind friend Lewis, who, despite his handicap, sees more than anybody else in the movie.

Grade: A

This is one of those slightly odd-ball heist movies which manages to carry off the down beat vibe and still be more-or-less convincing. Think of it as a Fargo-lite. Gordon-Lovett, following on from his excellent turn in "Brick",plays a College Ice Hockey star player, whose reckless "gift" to his girlfriend ends with her maimed and two other friends dead. Four years on, he is partially brain-damaged, confused and a self-loathing young man, going to "special needs" class to help deal with day-to-day tasks. No longer functioning as he was, he maintains a part-time janitor job at night in a small town bank. The nearest he gets to his dream ice hockey career now is using the mop as his stick and some urinal disinfectant blocks as pucks; shooting them into the waste bin. If he thought he had problems now; just wait until his new found "friend" reveals why everything in his life is starting to look up.... This has that mix of oddness that works for the most part, such as Gordon-Lovett's dependence on his a blind friend and flat-mate; played really well by Jeff Daniels. The main bad guy has value, although the femme fatale, played by Isla Fisher is probably too good to be true- and her character arc is left open-ended.

Roped and corralled into helping to rob his bank, he starts to sense all in not right-but its too late to back out now.............

All in all, I really enjoyed this until the top-and-tail ending. In a few narrated scenes at the end, the writer conspires to undo a lot of the hard work. The writers pen is dropped for a broad stroke "rainbow" paintbrush , resolving a lot of issues quite flippantly and totally ignores others. Perhaps the director should have got a re-write, but as he and the writer are one and the same, this was not to be!

Still, it was a good character driven piece of film-making overall and Gordon-Lovett is one to watch. He also bears a striking resemblance to Heath Ledger both in appearance, as well as ability.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems to pop up where I least expect him. Having not heard his name since the glorious days of "3rd Rock from the Sun", he turns up in this movie. And while it was surprising, his acting didn't fall flat.

Joseph is paired with Jeff Daniels of "Dumb and Dumber" fame. They are a unique pair. Joseph has loss of short term memory due to a tragic accident and Daniels is blind. Daniels is sharp with his biting sarcasm and crazy one liners. But Joseph is stays serious, distancing himself from his earlier days.

It had some good moments and things really heat up during the robbery. The action with the security guard at the bank along with the plot at the end made it an interesting bit to watch. Worthy of its awards? Doubt it, but it certainly surprised a little. "B"

The Lookout was an amazing movie with splendid performances all around. It's hard to believe that Joseph Gordon Levitt was once on "3rd Rock From The Sun". He's come along way.

After a horrible accident which killed two people, seriously wounded another, and left Chris Pratt (Levitt) with a brain injury which makes it nearly impossible for him to remember things without writing them down in a notebook that he carries with him, he is no longer the cocky hockey player. Instead he now lives his life while working as a janitor in a bank and living with a blind roommate named Lewis (Jeff Daniels in a fascinating performance).

While drinking at a bar, he meets the charismatic Gary Spargo (played by Matthew Goode) who then introduces Chris to the lovely Luvlee Lemons (Isla Fischer.) They later asked him to serve as lookout while they rob the bank he works at. Chris at first doesn't agree, but Gary plays the other people in Chris' life against him in subtle ways, and after Chris finds out that some of what Gary said seems true, he agrees. The story goes on from there, but I will not even discuss the ending.

The lookout is a strong movie, and it is the phenomenal acting which holds the movie together the best. Scott Frank has a way of getting the best out of his actors here, and what we get is a psychological drama that holds your interest. At a brisk 99 minutes, it seemed over much too quickly. Some of the later scenes in the movie felt a little contrived I agree, but even they pale in comparison to the welcoming acting where even the main villain (Goode) doesn't seem totally utterly evil. Of course I can't say the same thing about his quiet henchman with the glasses.

I liked this movie a lot, but I do wish we could've gotten to know more about Luvlee Lemons. Her character seem to be pushed out later in the movie, and I found myself a little disappointed in this. Still, overall this was a very good movie.

This is incredibly entertaining and solid piece of film making, by Scott Frank. The film travels on a road that its laid out for the audience to see steps ahead, but that never matters, b/c you are constantly in suspense over what will happen to the incredibly well drawn characters in the film. Frank also shows tons of directorial flair to accompany his writing prowess. The whole cast was amazing, Matthew Goode is completely unrecognizable and is perfect in the film. Jeff Daniels again dons a Beard and steals his scenes, every line of his dialog either makes you laugh, think or just compels the movie forward, and Joseph Gordon Levitt again proves why he is capable of being one of the next great movie stars. Go see this movie and tell your friends to do the same.

This is the kind of film Hollywood should be making,