The Lookout
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Isla Fisher, Carla Gugino, Matthew Goode
Directed by: Scott Frank
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2007
Times Seen:
Tim: 1
Summary: A hockey player (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) suffers a severe brain trauma, which has greatly deceased his mental capacity. A con man convinces him to help rob a bank, which will have serious repercussions for everyone involved.
Review:
Tim: This was supposed to be a small, edgy independent film that had something to say and was supposed to wow critical audiences. The pieces might all be in place, but this is not a good movie. It has the element�a strong performance by a young actor, playing a not-quite-normal human being; a strong supporting role by an actor playing a disabled man, and a new take on an old story. However, put together, these just don�t resonant. This film was very often boredom, and it takes far, far too long to get to the end. Even at 99 minutes, this film felt too long.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is good as a young man suffering from brain damage. This role certainly gave him the opportunity to showcase his talent, and he does a good job with that. However, the character�s novelty quickly wears off, and we�re left with more annoyance than any vestige of sympathy. Jeff Daniels puts in a good performance as Gordon-Levitt�s blind roommate. He balances kindness with fierce loyalty, and a bit of frustration (as well as acceptance) of his condition. I did enjoy his performance. Isla Fisher is decent, but I wish she had more to do.
The film feels like it takes far too long to get to the point�and then, when we finally arrive at the climax, it feels as if it gets dragged out far too long. The movie is a mess in many, many ways. It is supposed to feel new, but it ends up feeling old�an amalgamation of scenes and pieces from many other movies, all thrown together hastily and shined up for award season. However, I am sure this movie will be overlooked for the big awards, and for good reason. The Lookout is a pretender, a classic film wannabe that has some flash, but no substance. This is small moviemaking at its worst.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 3.5
If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Ice Harvest, Speed, Out of Sight, Get Shorty