Out of Sight (1998)

Very Cool!!!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Is it at times funny? Yes. Is it well shot? Yes. Does the chemistry between Clooney and Lopez work? Yes. However, despite some of its individual elements working well, the film as a whole felt a little too derivative, a little too predictable and a little too bland for me to be really impressed. It's good, but not memorable good.

I can see why "Out of Sight" is one of George Clooney's favourite films on his resume. Even though it didn't do very well box-office wise, it is a really good film with a great screenplay. Based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard and excellently directed by Steven Soderbergh it's a joy.Plot In A Paragraph: An escaped convict (George Clooney) takes a female US Marshall (Jennifer Lopez) hostage whilst making a get away. They share an instant mutual attraction and it's not long before their paths cross again.Clooney and Lopez make a very sexy couple and the famous trunk scene is superb. I can't praise the cast enough of this movie enough here. George Clooney is at his charismatic best. Ving Rhames is solid support while Jennifer Lopez who I'm not really a fan of looks gorgeous and does a good job acting wise. Dennis Farina pops up as her Dad, and is as reliable as he always is. Michael Keaton reprises his role from "Jackie Brown" and seems to be having a lot of fun doing do so. Steve Zahn does his usual Steve Zahn routine, but here it works. Don Cheadle is also very good. This is the first collaboration between Soderbergh and star George Clooney, and give how well they worked together it's no surprise they re teamed several more times.

I'm not usually a Soderbergh fan. I usually find him half-baked and half-interested in what he's doing. But Out Of Sight is his most pristine and complete picture. That doesn't necessarily equate to a winner, but with Elmore Leonard's source material, it's thoroughly entertaining and slick. From Get Shorty and Justified, his style has such an endearingly casual way to approach a colourful network of energetic and morally grey characters that it's just a joy to watch even in sinister moments. Their presence may be fleeting, but they add to the personality. Working off the back of George Clooney's charm here helps, firmly establishing his typecast role for a while of handsome crook. He does it well is why. But he has a hell of a cast behind him full of familiar faces. However, beyond the intricate plotting and witty dialogue, what makes Out Of Sight special is the thoughtful editing. Usually when a film designs its structure over cutting back and forth without justification it can be jarring, but here it adds so much texture to the film, especially in a memorable intimate scene between Clooney and J-Lo. Leonard's words is what makes the film delicious subversive and engaging, but it's Soderbergh's tight touch that does it justice. Definitely worthy of its cult status over the years and most likely his finest work. 8/10

I was told that this was a really good movie, but after seeing a number of superb movies in the cinema recently, and more on video, I began to not expect too much from it. I did not get that much from the movie, but it was reasonably good considering some of the movies that I could have hired (though Object of My Affection is an overnight and I really don't want to pay $3 for it when it is supposed to be an inferior copy of Chasing Amy).Out of Sight is about a superb bankrobber named Jack Foley. He is a very intelligent robber as he gets the money without having to use violence. Instead he bluffs making his victim believe that there are armed men nearby even though there are not. The robbery that we see is evidence of that, and we later discover that he robs this bank without any planning whatsoever. The problem is that his car won't start and he gets caught - but that is only a minor inconvenience to Jack Foley as he manages to escape using a failed escape attempt as a cover. Unfortunately, he is confronted by a federal marshal, Karen Sisco, whom he kidnaps and escapes with.This is where the major plot turns up. Jack falls in love with Karen and vice versa. Both know that this is a difficult relationship, one being a federal marshal and the other being an escaped criminal. In fact this is aiding and abetting a known felon - but nobody other than Jack and his confidant and Karen's father know of this relationship.This movie is about relationships - that which exists between Karen and Jack - and the struggle that they face to come to terms with it. I guess it is an old story: two lovers who cannot love because of who they are. This dates back to Romeo and Juliet. Even though it is old, it is an intelligent plot as there is no clear cut solution. Karen knows her job, but she also knows her feelings for Jack. The bedroom scene is one that adds to the character of Karen as she begins to doubt Jack's sincerity, believing he is only doing it for a dare, but he is not. We know Jack and we know that this is not a simple one night stand for him.Jack is really a noble character. He is a bank robber, but he does not use violence, and in fact he has never fired a gun. He is also a very intelligent and observant character. When he sees the accountant in gaol who has a lot of money sequestered away, he protects him believing that he will benefit afterwards. He doesn't ask for money, but rather relies on his generosity - which turns out to be non-existent when he throws a security uniform at Jack and tells him to work his way up from the bottom.I guess, when I think about it, this is a very good movie as it develops the characters and gives them life. I like intelligent and honourable criminals, namely because I have never met one - I guess it is one of those fictions that don't really exist. The characters have their strengths and flaws and each of them is developed independently. The movie focuses on Jack and Karen, but the others, including Snoop (who is a bad guy in the movie) and Jack's confidant are also well rounded characters. What is interesting is the sister of Jack's confidant. She is a born-again Christian and Jack's Confidant tells her everything. She does turn him in, if the crime has not yet been committed, but he seems to owe her something.