Before I begin to heap praise on Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight," I should let you know that I am a huge fan of heist movies. From "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" to "The Wild Bunch" to "Heat," many of my favorite movies happen to feature characters looking for scores to take down and security guys to outsmart. So naturally I felt good going into "Out of Sight." Not only was it about some bank-robbing dudes, but it had a great cast, director, and was an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel to boot.
That said, "Out of Sight" has little to do with bank robbery. Yes, its central characters, Jack Foley (George Clooney) and Karen Sisco (the stunning Jennifer Lopez), are a bank robber and a U.S. Marshal, but this film has only one depicted bank robbery. The real story behind "Out of Sight" is in the characters and their relationships.
The characters are colorful, and each of them is indisputably an Elmore Leonard creation. There is Jack Foley, the bank robber who has never shot a gun. There is his buddy, Buddy (Ving Rhames), a hardened criminal who confesses every crime to his sister, sometimes before the fact. You have Dick the Ripper (Albert Brooks), a stock market tycoon, and Snoopy Miller (Mad Dog when he was a pro-boxer, now Snoopy because he'll go down with one punch).
Almost every character in the movie has a quirky way about them that makes them fascinating.
The plot is somewhat typical, a bank robber out for his last score, a beautiful cop on his tail. He falls for her, she falls for him, hijinks and conflicts ensue. It doesn't matter. The concept is brilliantly executed and a 90's self-awareness makes the film all the more enjoyable.
The central hole in the movie could have been the sudden attraction between the cop and the robber. However, from their first meeting, the chemistry is just right. Locked in the trunk of her car as Buddy drives them from Foley's prison break, the sexual tension lies thick in the air. They talk easily, but nervously.
As their talk turns to movies, eventually they light on "Three Days of the Condor," A Robert Redford/Faye Dunaway thriller that centers on their relationship, first as fugitive/reluctant hostage, then as lovers. Foley says something to the effect of "the only part I couldn't swallow was that they got together so fast," a perfect example of the self-referential nature of the movie.
Elmore Leonard probably deserves much of the credit for the excellent characters and superior dialogue, but Steven Soderbergh brings the material to film with remarkable skill. The whole movie, especially the scenes in Miami, ooze Leonard-ness. The production design is immaculate, from art-deco sleazy motels to pastel-covered tiny apartments. Miami feels drenched in sun, making the transition to snowy Detroit (location of the big score) all the more jarring.
Even more important to the atmosphere of the movie is the music of "Out of Sight." Suave beats and jazzy tunes underly every moment of film. The actual shooting of the movie screams cool just as well as every other part.
Soderbergh subtly uses freeze frames for emphasis, and half of the time you are not sure whether it's the character pausing in shock or the film itself. The best use of this comes in the inevitable, but spectacularly done, love scene between Foley and Sisco. Intercutting between their conversation in a bar and their prelude to action in her hotel room, Soderbergh creates palpable anticipation and heat between the two stars.
Before I forget, the cameos in "Out of Sight" are another treat Soderbergh serves up to his audience. The final surprise is comparable to Sean Connery's appearance in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," so go see the movie before someone ruins it for you.
"Out of Sight" is Steven Soderbergh's finest work. It is also the best adaptation of Elmore Leonard's work yet, in that it evokes the mood of Leonard's novels so well. This is a funny, romantic romp so filled with coolness that it will make you, average moviegoer, cooler for seeing it.
