Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse.
Out of Sight is a 1998 action-comedy, directed by Steven Soderbergh, the picture stars George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, and Ving Rhames. The story followers a career bank robber who breaks out of jail and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a U.S. Marshal he has kidnapped. The fates of the two become intertwined as he embarks on a robbery and heist in Detroit with some dangerous men.
Under The Lens: Bar meet up and Comedy
Bar meet up: One of Out of Sights‘ most memorable moments is the wonderfully shot meet-up of Jack and Karen meet up at a hotel bar. The low light and magnificent evening view of Detroit with snow gently falling outside the window is wonderfully shot and executed. We get the two engrossed in a fun conversation which is interspersed with the two in a room later preparing to make love.
It’s a very sexy scene that barely shows any skin, and hammers home the fiery chemistry the two have on screen, the decision to cut back and forth between the past and the future was brilliant and one that helped to make the scene very memorable. The lack of any gratuitous skin or sex, forces the focus to be on the two leads and the chemistry between them, the picture tells us that the attraction between them is more than physical, and by not showing the physical act this point is reinforced.
Comedy: One of Out of Sights weaknesses lay in its comedy. It feels like it never 100% knows if it wants to be a crime thriller, comedy caper, or buddy comedy. This is not to say that the comedy does not work, it sometimes has some very quiet and droll moments of humor. However screenwriter Scott Frank never seems to fully be able to grasp Elmore Leonard’s signature style of humor and drama that comes across so well in other pictures.
Part of the issue lay in how the picture mixes moments of horrible violence with levity and humor, while other Elmore Leonard pictures and even Tarantino scrips manage this well, Steven Soderbergh and Scott Frank are not up to the task. All in all, this does not ruin the picture, however, it is sad because, with a better script, this could have been a crime classic!
Highlights
The car ride near the pictures beginning is well shot with snappy dialogue.
Dennis Farina is a scene stealer as Karen’s father.
George Clooney and Ving Rhames are a fun duo and interact well.
Quotable Quote
Karen Sisco: You wanted to tussle. We tussled.
Something to think about
Have you ever fallen for someone who you knew you should not be in love with? What did you do?
Conclusion
Out of Sight is overall a good crime thriller that is anchored by strong performances from George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, and Ving Rhames, Clooney, and Lopez especially have crackling chemistry that makes the slower moving drama enjoyable to sit through. In the end, the picture’s attempt at comedy mostly falls flat, with a somewhat jarring tonal shift from violence to levity and back again throughout the picture. The script attempts to lift Elmore Leonard’s style from his novel but mostly fails. Unltimently, the picture is worth watching for the character actors and the good banter between Lopez and Clooney. It’s a perfect date night flick to see curled up on the couch with a bowl of ice cream.
