The Lookout
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2007 15:17
Things had been much easier on 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Directed by Scott Frank, out November 2nd, in cinemas, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Isla Fisher, running time 99 minutes.
In a nutshell...
Bank robbery, Dark, Amnesia, Depressive.
What's it all about?
Chris Pratt (Gordon-Levitt) was the high school hero. A brilliant ice hockey player, he had everything going for him, a beautiful girlfriend, a rich family and the envy of all his peers. Then an act of immature stupidity leads to him causing a car crash, killing his friends and causing permanent injury to his girlfriend. Chris himself is left with lasting brain damage, struggling to form any new memories and having to rely on his flatmate and mentor Lewis (Jeff Daniels) to set out instructions to enable him to complete even the most basic of tasks such as cooking diner. Chris and the blind Lewis form an odd-ball double team, protecting and helping each other through their tough lives.
Chris though becomes disillusioned with his new life and frustrated with his dead-end job as the night janitor of a local bank. He quickly finds himself mixing with a bad crowd after a chance meeting in a bar with an old pupil from his school, Gary Spargo (Mathew Goode). Gary introduces him to stripper Luvlee Lemons (Isla Fisher) and they soon hit it off, however Gary has bigger plans for Chris and soon recruits him into his plans to rob the bank. Things inevitably take a turn for the worst and Chris has to fight against all the elements, including his damaged mind, to save himself and Lewis.
Who's in it?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, 3rd Rock from the Sun) puts in an impressive performance depicting the brain-damaged Chris. His brooding, struggling and depressed portrayal will remind many of his acclaimed turn in Brick. Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber, Squid and Whale) is superb as the blind and fiercely independent Lewis. With his quick wit and determination to overcome life's challenges he is the perfect side kick to Gordon-Levitt's disheartened Chris. Matthew Goode (Match Point) plays the dangerous and calculating Gary and Isla Fisher's (Wedding Crashers) naïve stripper is also more than convincing.
The film is Scott Frank's directing debut, following on from a successful career as a screenwriter. Frank is best known for adapting the Elmore Leonard novels, Out of Sight and Get Shorty.
As an example...
"My old man used to say to me, probably the only thing we really agreed on, was that whoever has the money has the power. You might wanna jot that down in your book. It's something you're gonna need to remember." - Gary seducing Chris into joining the bank heist.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars?
Gordon-Levitt will once again receive praise for his performance and will no doubt pick up more fans of his work. Jess Daniels should also be commended for an uncharacteristic outing. Box office success may invariably be slightly limited due to the subject matter but fans of the actors and this genre of quirky and dark crime movies will all be impressed.
What the others say
"Although the characters are intriguingly off-centre, the film would do better if it concentrated on pulp atmosphere rather than indie credibility. There are plot-holes but Gordon-Levitt covers up with a typically edgy turn. On top of Manic and Brick, this proves he's the Keanu who can act." – Empire
"The Lookout is Frank's show. He's crafted a haunting and hypnotic film that transcends pulp by creating characters that get under your skin. Frank is a director to watch. More, please, and soon." - Rolling Stone
So is it any good?
A simple yet effective story, The Lookout delivers on all the right levels. A dark, bleak and narrow narrative is played out flawlessly by its two leading characters with adequate help from the supporting cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt yet again shines, following his star turn in Brick, with another deeply troubled performance. He is developing into an extremely impressive actor and there are few in the business that can brood and seethe under the surface quite as well. Jeff Daniels is fantastic as the sarcastic Lewis and leaves you wishing there had been more roles in the past for him to be stretched to this degree.
There has been some unfounded criticism levelled at the film, such as suggesting that Chris would never have secured his role in the bank heist with his disability, but these are irrelevant points and at no point do you catch yourself questioning any of the action. The only problems that may exist involve the supporting characters. There is a lack of depth for Fisher's stripper and Goode doesn't utterly convince as the manipulative master mind of the robbery.
The comparisons to Christopher Nolan's Memento are impossible to ignore and whilst this doesn't have as complex a narration, it does pitch itself in a much darker landscape with a considerably more sinister population. Another success for Gordon-Levitt and an intriguing twist on the bank robbery genre.
7/10
Richard James
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