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Acting
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Directing
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Story
Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Running Time: 123 mins
Out Of Sight is an American film about a bank robber who, after escaping from prison, engages in a countrywide game of cat and mouse with a law enforcement officer who he briefly kidnapped and fell for.
A very enjoyable caper-esque thriller starring George Clooney at his most debonair, Out Of Sight is a lot of fun throughout, and even though it’s never quite as deliriously enjoyable as the likes of Ocean’s Eleven, it’s a great story of the ups ands downs of a life on the run.
At the helm here is director Steven Soderbergh, who later collaborated with Clooney and a number of other stars on Ocean’s Eleven, and it’s fair to say that you can see all the hallmarks of the director’s talent in Out Of Sight. Sleek, smooth and seductive, it’s much more than just another crime thriller.
What works so well about Out Of Sight is the clash between a bizarre, almost preposterous romance and an epic game of cat and mouse across the USA, combined with a Pulp Fiction-esque story of intertwining characters and timelines.
Out Of Sight does admittedly get a little more convoluted than Pulp Fiction at times, but for the most part, it’s an enjoyable intricate thriller that counts on both fantastic humour and a captivating screenplay to deliver two hours of great entertainment.
The star of the show is undoubtedly George Clooney, who’s at his absolute best in the lead role as a smooth bank robber who falls for the federal Marshal (Jennifer Lopez) chasing him across the country. It’s a really fun story that sees Clooney and Lopez flirting with each other in thoroughly entertaining fashion, albeit never striking up the most convincing of relationships.
That’s one of my biggest issues with the screenplay here, that Lopez’s seemingly competent and driven character becomes involved with Clooney far too easily. There’s an argument to say that it’s just that which helps her keep on his tail, but it makes the pair’s steamy romance in the opening half of the film a little less believable than could have really been the case.
Saying that, however, Clooney and Lopez are great together here, and bring a uniquely steamy edge to what is for the most part a sleek and fun-loving crime thriller. In supporting roles, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle and more are all great too, but it’s that leading duo which really make Out Of Sight a whole lot of fun.
Overall, then, I really enjoyed Out Of Sight. Not a perfect film by any means, but a movie that’s always committed to good storytelling, great performances and fun-loving, humorous antics, it’s a great watch throughout, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.5.
