The Lookout (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
When a popular high school hockey player goes for a haphazard drive down Route 24, he crashes (killing several passengers) & it changes his life forever. Left with a debilitating head injury which prevents him from remembering things for extended periods of time, he struggles to maintain a normal life. But because he's vulnerable, a gang takes advantage of his disability and entices him into the middle of a bank heist. I expected 'The Lookout', a suspense/thriller written & directed by Scott Frank to be more ... well, thrilling. Because of this, I then focused on the finely tuned performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Chris (Gordon-Levitt) keeps notes in a small notebook so that he can remember the sequence of events in his everyday life. He is also aided, interestingly enough, by his blind roommate, Lewis (a great Jeff Daniels). Once a bright student with potential, Chris can only now handle basic jobs such as his overnight janitorial position in a local Kansas City bank. It is here where Gary (Matthew Goode of Match Point), leader of a vengeful gang, takes great interest in how Chris' job & disability can prove a benefit for his bank robbing lifestyle; Chris can be a stellar lookout. Of course, that's if Chris is interested. To reign him into the gang, they dangle Luvlee Lemons (Isla fisher), in front of him as a love interest.
Chris is confused. Can Luvlee sway his decision to enter the heist? Just how sensitive is he? Will Luvlee fall in love with Chris? Does Chris want to escape his stifling life as a 'gimp'? Will he then further disappoint his elitist family if he turns to a life of rebellion? Does Gary know Chris by other means? Are those means the catalyst that drives Gary's bank heist along? Can Chris ever become the person he once was? Whose lives will be lost along the way?
There are plenty of positive things to take away from 'The Lookout': The beginning is informative & interesting. The ending is tense & explosive (if predictable). There's enough drama, but also some comedic timing to break-up the monotony. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great. Where I hated him in last year's Brick, I found his performance more intense & effecting here. His Chris is both complex and severely damaged (both physically & emotionally).
There are not too many negatives as much as there are some slight disappointments: The movie is more sensitive & thoughtful than it is a crime thriller. The recent trend of films in this genre is that more attention is given to character study, rather than action/thrills. Normally, I am fine with this. But sometimes, just sometimes, we prefer the brainless, on-the-edge-of-our seat intensity. Because of this, portions of the middle did drag on a bit. Honestly, this film just lacked the wit and edginess that I expected it to have. Many moments are tepid. And while I really like the 'story', the way it is told is too straightforward to garner it a 'great' film.
Chris (Gordon-Levitt) keeps notes in a small notebook so that he can remember the sequence of events in his everyday life. He is also aided, interestingly enough, by his blind roommate, Lewis (a great Jeff Daniels). Once a bright student with potential, Chris can only now handle basic jobs such as his overnight janitorial position in a local Kansas City bank. It is here where Gary (Matthew Goode of Match Point), leader of a vengeful gang, takes great interest in how Chris' job & disability can prove a benefit for his bank robbing lifestyle; Chris can be a stellar lookout. Of course, that's if Chris is interested. To reign him into the gang, they dangle Luvlee Lemons (Isla fisher), in front of him as a love interest.
Chris is confused. Can Luvlee sway his decision to enter the heist? Just how sensitive is he? Will Luvlee fall in love with Chris? Does Chris want to escape his stifling life as a 'gimp'? Will he then further disappoint his elitist family if he turns to a life of rebellion? Does Gary know Chris by other means? Are those means the catalyst that drives Gary's bank heist along? Can Chris ever become the person he once was? Whose lives will be lost along the way?
There are plenty of positive things to take away from 'The Lookout': The beginning is informative & interesting. The ending is tense & explosive (if predictable). There's enough drama, but also some comedic timing to break-up the monotony. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great. Where I hated him in last year's Brick, I found his performance more intense & effecting here. His Chris is both complex and severely damaged (both physically & emotionally).
There are not too many negatives as much as there are some slight disappointments: The movie is more sensitive & thoughtful than it is a crime thriller. The recent trend of films in this genre is that more attention is given to character study, rather than action/thrills. Normally, I am fine with this. But sometimes, just sometimes, we prefer the brainless, on-the-edge-of-our seat intensity. Because of this, portions of the middle did drag on a bit. Honestly, this film just lacked the wit and edginess that I expected it to have. Many moments are tepid. And while I really like the 'story', the way it is told is too straightforward to garner it a 'great' film.