The timing of the Dartmouth Film Society's screening of Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight" could not have come at a better time. The acclaimed director who leapt onto the world stage with 1989's Cannes winner "sex, lies and videotape" has just become the first director of a $100 million movie in 2000, namely "Erin Brockovich."
"Out of Sight" is the bridge between "sex," widely considered one of the more important independent films of all time and "Brockovich," a good movie, but a big studio Julia Roberts vehicle.
Not really indie and too cool for big studio Hollywood (despite being released by Universal), "Out of Sight" is a movie of unsurpassed style and unabashed coolness.
It is a film that revels in its own superior editing, production design, casting and performances. While cool is something to be expected from an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel, we've all seen too many flubbed good books not to give this superior adaptation credit.
George Clooney plays bank robber Jack Foley, a character that Soderbergh manages to make incredibly suave without seeming fake. Despite his great looks, style and panache, Jack Foley is a real person, with flaws and foibles. In fact, every character in "Out of Sight" is a whole creation, more complex than the usual stereotypes of Hollywood movies.
Foley spends his life robbing banks, going to jail and busting out. His latest escape lands him in front of the badass, capable and unbelievably sexy U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez before she became Puffy's girl).
The chemistry between these two actors has been much discussed in reviews of "Out of Sight," but it deserves mentioning here again. From the moment of their first meeting, Clooney and Lopez sizzle. Their dialogue, their body language and pure attitude are perfect. The audience believes in their unlikely attraction because it is so powerfully there.
But George and Jennifer don't deserve all the credit. The lighting and music add palpable atmosphere to their scenes.
There's so much to talk in this movie that I can't bear to give plot summary. Don Cheadle as Maurice "Snoopy" Miller has some of the funniest lines of 1990s film. And who can forget supporting players like Chino (the consistently brilliant Luis Guzman), Glenn Michaels (Steve Zahn) or White Boy Bob (Keith Loneker), for God's sake.
Still, I know there are readers out there (well, I hope there are readers out there) who remain unconvinced, so I will deliver the expected summary. When Foley breaks out of prison with the assistance of his prone-to-spontaneous-confession partner Buddy (Ving Rhames), he is almost thwarted by Sisco. Managing to turn the tables on her, Foley and Sisco spend the escape in the dim red light of a Thunderbird's trunk, discussing movies and feeding the powerful attraction growing between them.
They are separated again and the "will they or won't they" question begins to build. "Out of Sight" never really leaves this in doubt, though, as the attraction between them is just too strong. Still, it's a joy to see the robber and the cop struggling with the reality of their lives conflicting with the reality of their feelings, dealing with the other people in their life along the way. Dennis Farina is super-cool as Mr. Marshall Sisco, Karen's dad.
Steven Soderbergh should receive additional accolades for finally convincing George Clooney to act without looking through his eyebrows. It's a boon to all moviegoers to finally see Clooney play a part without using all the same mannerisms of Doug Ross. Clooney comes into his own here, taking a place in the male movie star pantheon along legends like Gable, Connery and other luminaries. The guy is mesmerizing.
Leonard probably deserves much of the credit for the excellent characters and superior dialogue, but Soderbergh brings the material to film with remarkable skill. The whole movie, especially the scenes in Miami, oozes Leonard-ness. The production design is immaculate, from art-deco sleazy motels to pastel-covered tiny apartments.
Soderbergh subtly uses freeze frames for emphasis, and half the time you are not sure whether it's the character pausing in shock or the film itself. This technique's best use is in the inevitable, but spectacularly done, love scene between Foley and Sisco.
"Out of Sight" is an important movie after two years for many reasons. It was neglected at the box office and is the perfect example of a marketing failure. Universal released it in the summer because it had no "summer blockbuster." Big mistake. A fall release could have guaranteed "Out of Sight" a far bigger take.
It's also important because it's the coming-out party for Clooney and Lopez. While Jennifer may have attained more pervasive fame with her irritating pop singing career, one cannot watch this movie and not have respect for the woman. She can act.
Finally, it's important because Steven Soderbergh is a man we will be seeing more and more of in the coming years. He's proved himself in every arena of moviemaking. "Out of Sight" will make you a fan for life.
