"The Lookout" Review - Written by Fred (The Wolf)

DIRECTED BY

Scott Frank

STARRING

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Chris Pratt

Jeff Daniels - Lewis

Matthew Goode - Gary Spargo

Isla Fisher - Luvlee Lemons

Greg Dunham - Bone

Sergio Di Zio - Deputy Ted

**** out of ****

We've seen a few heist films in the past few years. Films like the OCEAN trilogy, THE ITALIAN JOB, GONE IN 60 SECONDS, FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, and MAD MONEY [which comes out this month] use the idea of stealing money or other valuable things as an exciting caper with comedic elements placed in between. But what if you're looking for a serious heist film that deals with characters that you can relate to and care about? A heist film with an interesting twist, THE LOOKOUT stands out among the rest of its heist film peers with a great lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a brilliant directoral debut by OUT OF SIGHT and GET SHORTY screenwriter, Scott Frank.

PLOT

Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a popular and talented high school hockey player who seems to have it all. Chris has a hot car, a hot girlfriend (played by SMALLVILLE's Laura Vandervoort), and friends who love and respect him. After cruising one night, Chris crashes his car into a roadblock, leaving him slightly brain-damaged [he has very short-term memory] and alot of guilt over killing his friends. Four years pass, where Chris must write everything down in a notepad just to remember how to function every single day. He also has to go to a special needs college by day and works as a janitor at a bank at night. Also living with blind Lewis (Jeff Bridges), Chris is very frustrated with his flailing future and wants to change his life into something meaningful.

One night at a bar, Chris meets Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode), who claims to be an old boyfriend of his sister. Seeing something in Gary, Chris begins hanging out with him as a way to change his stagnant life. Chris also falls in love with a former stripper named Luvlee (Isla Fisher), who is part of Gary's clique and begins to have feelings for Chris. Even though Chris is having the time of his life, he soon realizes it was too good to be true. Apparently Gary has been following Chris for a while, wanting Chris to help him and his friends rob the bank where Chris works at. Faced with a tough decision, Chris soon realizes that whoever has the money has the power.

REVIEW

Thank you, Scott Frank. Thank you for directing a film that's intelligent and suspenseful at the same time. With great characters, great direction, and a great original script, THE LOOKOUT has a lot of depth with its character study of a young man who may not have a great memory, but still remembers the difference between right and wrong. In this day and age, heist films use slick technology and fancy skills to lead the robbers to victory. Here, we have none of that. It's an old-fashioned heist film in a modern time. And I, for one, appreciate the film for it.

Scott Frank, who has written two of the most clever films in film history [GET SHORTY and OUT OF SIGHT], directs an excellent film here. It's no surprise as a screenwriter that he knows how to evenly pace and visually narrate a film of this level. Frank really gets into the lives of his characters, especially Chris, where we continuously watch his struggle to remember every day of his life like it is a story. Through cuts, edits, and transitional scenes, we learn alot about Chris without hearing him utter a word of dialogue. I also appreciated the fact that Frank doesn't use the memory loss as a gimmick to propel the film to its conclusion. It's a very big part of Chris' character and Frank treats it with a ton of respect. He never goes overboard with his direction, always shooting what the audience needs to know and getting straight to the point in 99 minutes. Great at using tension and suspense as obstacles fall into Chris' lap, it's wonderful to watch a novice director give us a glimpse into the world of a very complicated person in such a human way.

Frank's script is also very well structured. We get to know all the characters very quickly, which is a plus. Plus we pretty much know how the story is gonna go [I've seen enough films to know how it was gonna end] but the ride is still a fun one and Frank tells Chris' plight fantastically. The script has a lot of heart in it. Nice to see some intelligence in a film for once, especially in a decade where style has taken over, leaving logic and good writing in the backburner.

The cinematography is also quite beautiful, as most of the colors are very dark even in daylight. It was almost noir-ish in my opinion, really setting the tone extremely well. And this film was shot in digital video? You could have fooled me! Very impressive. Mr. Frank needs to direct another film. I would love to see what's next from this guy.

What really makes this film worth watching is the wonderful acting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has really left his child star years behind and has become quite a fine actor. He carries this film with ease, playing a mentally disabled man realistically and not as some caricature like a lot of other actors would have probably done in a film like this. He has these certain kind of naunces down, he's profound in his actions, and really steals the film from his co-stars as if he really did have this disability. He's a marvel to watch in this film and it's scary because he has such a long career ahead of him, meaning he's gonna get better and better with each film. This is quite honestly the best acting I've seen from Levitt and I can't wait for his next film. I could not find a fault in Levitt's performance. That's how good he is.

The supporting cast is also excellent. Matthew Goode is magnetic as bad guy Gary Spargo. He's charming, he's charismatic, and he's nothing but trouble for Chris. It's weird because you know the guy is bad news, as he's pretty much fucked up in the head, and he's just using Chris to get his hands on some cash. He should be that guy you love to hate, but I liked the guy alot. Goode was really good [pun intended] in the role. I've seen him in a couple of other films but nothing as good as this. Jeff Daniels is wonderful as Lewis, Chris' blind friend who gets caught up in the mess. The guy is not a victim. He's an intelligent, strong, sarcastic man who gives Chris the most respect out of everyone. He brings a lot of heart and depth to the role. Isla Fisher is also quite good as Luvlee. She's very attractive and appealing to watch on film. You know she uses Chris' heart to get him into the plan sort of, but you kind of feel for her when she actually starts falling for Chris. I did have an issue with her character, as it wasn't developed as the others. She also disappears at the end of the second act and her true purpose in the heist isn't exactly revealed or touched upon again. Still, Fisher is a wonderful actress and we'll continue to see great things from her.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE WRITING IN MY NOTEPAD

1. Don't ever drive at night without the car lights turned on. You could hit a roadblock. Or Britney Spears. She's dangerous, y'all!

2. Chris wants to fuck his case manager. After seeing Carla Gugino naked, I don't blame him.

3. The G-rated version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is such a dumb story. The porn version is a lot better. In that version, the bears find Goldilocks and teach her a lesson for trespassing. She never wants to leave after THAT lesson.

4. Bartenders can receive a $17 tip for a $3 beer. Man, sign me up for that job! I can finally quit selling my body for Pez with that kind of cash!

5. Thanksgiving is an awkward family holiday, where secrets are revealed and arguments ensue. The only thing anyone should be thankful for is surviving the day. Where's that killer Pilgrim when you need him?

6. Luvlee Lemons is the stage name of Chris' lady friend. With a name like that, she either dances on a pole, gets gangbanged on camera, or is a respectable school teacher. Hey, sex ed is a class!

7. Whoever has the money has the power. That's truest thing I've heard in a film in a very long time. Why else are there so many crappy reality shows on TV? I mean really, do we need more Scott Baio in our lives?

8. Alex Bornstein plays a bank teller. I'm sure every customer looks...like a man. She know ev'ryting...ev'ryting...

9. Deputy Ted knocked off two of Gary's dudes. Who knew jelly and custard could make one a killing machine. Go bacon!

10. Damn...I can't remember number 10. I should have written it in my notepad.

THE FINAL HOWL

THE LOOKOUT is an impressive film by a first-time director. While the film is a bit predictable, you still get yourself involved with the story and its wonderful, fleshed-out characters. If you haven't seen this film for whatever reason, do so now! It's a must-see and definitely one of the best films of 2007. I can't wait to see what Scott Frank has next up his sleeve. Highly recommended.