OUT OF SIGHT (1998)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 1998)
Next to Tarantino's "Jackie Brown," "Out of Sight" is the best Elmore Leonard film adaptation yet with the most energetic cast imaginable. And it also helps that the stylish director Steven Soderbergh is also on board.
George Clooney, in his best role by far, is the suave yet none too bright bank robber serving time in prison for a botched robbery attempt. It is there where he meets an assortment of criminals and lowlifes played by such top-notch actors like Ving Rhames (the moralistic friend who steals cars right in front of their owners), Steven Zahn (a clueless pothead), and Don Cheadle (a more cunning villain than I've seen in recent crime films). Together they conspire to rip-off a rich attorney (Albert Brooks) who may be hiding valuable diamonds in his house. Problem is a devastatingly beautiful federal marshal (exotic Jennifer Lopez) is on Clooney's tail.
"Out of Sight" varies from other Leonard adaptations in its time-twisting narrative and brisk, comical dialogue that lends an extra punch to the proceedings. Soderbergh often shuffles sequences out of order creating a universe of disorder - an editing staple that he later took further in 1999's "The Limey." It is a directive that would make Tarantino blush in its exquisite smoothness. My favorite sequence is the Clooney-Lopez sex scene where they are talking intimately as we are shown scenes of their eventual coupling.
Add to that the flashy direction by Steven Soderbergh ("Sex, Lies and Videotape") and a marvelous cast (including the funny cameo by Nancy Allen) and you've got one hell of an entertainment, and one of the best crime films in quite some time. There's also the sizzling chemistry between Clooney and Lopez who manage to swelter the screen as much as Gable and Leigh did. And for major laughs, Albert Brooks and Steve Zahn fit the bill perfectly. An outstanding picture that would make Hollywood blush in its seamless blend of violence and comedy.
Extra bonus: Don't miss the superb cameos by Michael Keaton (reprising his role from "Jackie Brown" as a DEA agent) and Samuel L. Jackson.
