Out of Time

Out of Time is directed by Carl Franklin and written by David Collard. It stars Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan, Dean Cain and John Billingsley. Music is by Graeme Revell and cinematography by Theo Van de Sande.

Matthias Whitlock (Washington) is chief of police in little Banyan Key, Florida. Respected for his work and basically honest in the line of duty. Away from work, however, his marriage to Alex (Mendes) has failed, he's having an affair with an abused wife and he likes a little drink on duty. So when his lover Anne Harrison (Lathan) springs on him the shocking news that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, it naturally shakes his world. But this news is merely the start of something bigger, for pretty soon Matt will be in the unusual situation of having to stay one step of his own kind or face dire consequences.

It's a film proudly wearing a badge of homage to film noir of the 40s. In fact it very much plays out as a contemporary riff on John Farrow's excellent Ray Milland starrer of 1948, The Big Clock. But that's fine, especially when you have some knowing craft in front and behind the camera in the shape of Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) and Washington (take your pick here really!). Yet as great as Franklin and Washington's work is, they all owe a debt to Collard's screenplay. Inventive in how it plays out as a plot, with it's many tight situations laid down for Washington's duped law enforcer to try and get out of, the screenplay has a knack for deft humour, often sly, which is something that even some of the hardest of noirs from the golden era are tinted with. The secret is being able to blend the humour with quality moments of suspense, and this picture manages to do that with some interest.

Film also benefits greatly from the tight atmosphere created by photographer de Sande. Sweaty Florida in daylight doesn't cry out as being a good starting point for an offshoot of film noir (real Florida locations were thankfully used), but the scenic beauty is never realised during the drama sequences, colours are toned down, even for a stunning red sky, and this perfectly becomes at one with a near frantic Washington as the tricksters of Banyan Key start to close in on him. It's nice too see, also, interracial couples forming the core of the story, while the dominance of sexuality is firmly given a shrewd work over by director and writer. There's good thought gone in to making this, enough to steer it away from charges of just being a faux neo-noir production.

Problems? Yes, a few. Inevitability of outcome is hard to shake off whilst viewing it, especially for those well versed in the genre (sub-genre). Clichés and contrivances are stacked up like a pile of cop thriller 101 books, and Franklin goes smug (daft) by dropping in a couple of slow frame sequences that the film clearly didn't need. While the big showdown in the finale lacks a gut punch. But this is a good viewing, sexy at times and always eye catching, it also pleasingly chooses perky dialogue over action to make its dramatic point. The cast around Washington enhance the quality: Lathan in the tricky role shows a number of layered gears, Cain is imposing as a bully boy husband (where did this Cain go?) and Billingsley almost sneaks in and steals the movie as the loyal and stoic comedy side-kick.

So pesky flaws aside, this is a good recommendation as a night in movie for those with a kink for contemporary neo-noir. 7/10

Denzel Washington is a policeman who is "Out of Time" in this 2003 film also starring Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan, and Dean Cain.

Washington plays Matt Whitlock, a policeman involved in an affair with the beautiful Ann Harrison (Lathan). Whitlock is currently embroiled in divorce proceedings from his detective wife (Mendes), and Ann is married to an abusive ex-football player (Cain). When Ann is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Whitlock wants to help her. It puts him in the center of a crime investigation with potentially devastating implications.

This wrongly accused/framed man storyline has been used with great success in films such as No Way Out and the film on which it was based, The Clock, and "Out of Time" borrows heavily from these two films. Whitlock has to stay one step ahead of his wife's investigation in order to keep from being accused of one crime, and he has to avoid an agent for whom he's holding evidence in order to keep from being accused of another. How he wriggles out of various situations makes for some good suspense and engrossing viewing.

Washington is excellent as the harried cop, and the film is well worth watching, even though it's easy to figure out past a certain point. Although very derivative, it's highly entertaining too.

I was expecting some cheesy half-baked effort on all parts, but then again, the film itself took on some twists of its own. Sure, a couple of the twists could be seen a mile away, but it was the way the scenes were cleanly executed to the point where you had to wonder "How is he getting out of this?" While some of the reviews are over the top, this is certainly one of those popcorn movies that I wouldn't mind spending a little dough on. Watch for Denzel and Eva Mendes, enjoy for the tension and the great musical score.

This reminded me of an old Film Noir style plot.

Was this film a direct copy of any such plot, does anyone know?

Or was it just an 'homage' to that style of 1940s-ish Hollywood plot-line?

It was a good film and kept you thinking. Though had its flaws, as some of the details as why characters were doing what they did could have been filled out.

Denzel Washington nicely underplayed this role, with none of the histrionics a lesser actor could have used to portray the stress he was under (i.e. with his character under such pressure) - bubbling but not boiling over.

And it was good to see Dean Cain in a 'bad guy' role!!

~ Scene by Scene ~

When I first saw the trailer for "Out of Time," I was pumped to go and see it when it came out. But then I saw the lame TV spots and decided against going, and the reviews it received didn't exactly give incentive for seeing it either. But I still always sort of had the urge to see it, and I finally got my chance, with decent results.

"Out of Time" is the type of thriller that tries hard, but still comes up short. There were no horrible aspects of this movie, nothing that stands out as being horribly dumb or even horribly unorginal. Yet everything seems mediocre. Denzel's acting was great, but other cast members occasionally seemed a little lost. The direction was also pretty good, but Carl Franklin seemed to have a little trouble pacing the movie, with a couple scenes seeming completely out of place. The music also, by Graeme Revell, was pretty good, but wasn't exemplary or especially dramatic. The cinematography was good, but didn't really stand out, while the screenplay also lagged in places. Plus, the story was original, but not original enough to really keep you guessing.

Yet the movie does create suspense quite well and Denzel saves the movie from complete mediocrity.

Final Grade: B.