by Miramax
| Average Rating: |
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| Sales Rank: | 15674 (lower is better) |
| Price Used: | $2.39 |
| Shipping: | Free Shipping on most orders over $25* |
| Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| Director: | Scott Frank |
| Release Date: | 2007-08-14 |
| Label: | Miramax |
| UPC: | 786936733235 |
| Binding: | DVD |
| Published By: | Miramax |
| ASIN: | B000QFCD8Q |
| Category: | DVD |
Actors and Actresses
Editorial Reviews and Product Descriptions
Description
Acclaimed screenwriter Scott Frank (Out Of Sight and Get Shorty) makes a mind-blowing directorial debut in The Lookout, a gritty, high-tension crime thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (TV’s Third Rock From The Sun, Brick), Jeff Daniels (RV) and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers). Chris "Slapshot" Pratt (Gordon-Levitt), whose once-bright future has been dimmed by a severe head injury, is a night janitor at a bank. Lonely and frustrated, Chris falls prey to a con man’s seductive promise of romance and a better life, and agrees to help rob the bank where he works. Filled with heart-pounding action, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a twist you’ll never see coming, The Lookout will grip you and never let go.
Amazon.com
An unpredictable thriller, The Lookout stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, Mysterious Skin) as Chris, a young man who had everything ahead of him--until a car accident killed two of his friends and left him with brain damage. Now reduced to being a janitor at a bank, Chris struggles to maintain some semblance of order in his life. When a guy he meets at a bar turns out to be an old classmate, Chris succumbs to his flattery, not suspecting that the guy's intentions are criminal. The Lookout was probably sold as Memento meets Inside Man, but its rewards are more modest than either. Though the plot is never obvious, the characters are never surprising--and in this kind of thriller, the payoff is when characters exceed what they (and the audience) believe they are. Still, the writing, acting, and directing are all solid, and from moment to moment the movie proves compelling. Jeff Daniels (The Purple Rose of Cairo) is particularly good as Chris's blind roommate, who smells a rat but can't persuade Chris to do something about it. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
The Lookout - Good, Not Great, With Some Missed Opportunities - Reviewed on 2008-09-26
1 customer found this review helpful.
The Lookout is bound to attract a lot of fans. There's a lot to like here. This is a good movie. The disappointing thing is, this could have been a very good or even a great movie.
Film noir is it's thing, and like many people I am drawn to it. Of course noir fans won't mind a slow moving story, which was no problem for me but might be for some. But I particularly enjoy noir when it is used in a way that actually aids in the story. In this case it seems to be used as an artifice. The noir angle could have been further developed.
The story line is hardly as "unpredictable" as some would have you believe. It's actually so obvious that it's clear that the group's plans would never work. The story is based on the often used formula of the young guy who "had it all" till an accident changed his life. The accident is supposed to leave him damaged, but in my opinion the director under-portrayed the after effects to the point that they are not as powerful as they could have been. A perfect example is the scene where he is hanging out with he newfound friends and lightly says "now I remember why I am here" to the girl who has caught his eye. His condition is lightly played with, but the line is not framed effectively enough to be effective either in a subtle or an obvious way.
Isla Fisher, of Wedding Crashers fame, is very cute and convincing in her role as the love interest. But the real magic happens in the scene she shares with Daniels, who somewhat steals what Levitt leaves behind despite very few lines. I enjoyed Jeff Daniels portrayal a lot. He definitely deserves more credit than he has gotten for this role.
Of course he is the star, but how many noir films is Joseph Gordon Levitt going to star in? Clearly he can act. He carries a lot of this movie, with the help of a very good supporting cast
The main problem with this film is the way all the plot lines are crudely tied together at the end. It's not done effectively and it undermines a good portion of the first hour and change of the movie. I am not one for spoilers so you will have to see it for yourself. Ultimately, this is what made this movie just an OK movie instead of a very good one. By the time you reach the climax and conclusion, you are bound to have several "huh?" moments.
This is still worth watching and I personally find it to be much better than Brick, though both are over-rated in my humble opinion. But don't expect the masterpiece that has been advertised.
Enjoy!!
Innate knowledge of good and evil - Reviewed on 2008-09-08
Chris Pratt has it all: he is hockey player, popular, from a well off family and he has bright future. Until one day in a teenage lust for life, he and his friends drive in a dark of the night, with the lights turned off in order to watch fireflies mate in the night. It is magical moment, until they crash. We see Chris after crash and he is a different person. He is brain damaged and unable to care for himself. He cannot sustain thought process, he needs to write down his tasks or else he forgets. He is also tormented by the events of that night since two of his friends are dead and his girfriend is maimed for life. To have somewhat independent life, he gets a job at the bank as a night shift janitor. Surely, his job and his conditon combined, make him a great bait for the local thugs is search for collecting easy money. This is an interesting movie, that explores outward world's readiness to feed on another person's vulnerability; our human desire for independence, love and physical and emotional connection with the world; and out innate knwoledge of what is right and what is wrong. We also get to see the deep love of the family members for one another and true meaning of friendship that transcends limits of our physical and mental abilities.
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Book Subjects
- Action
- Adventure
- Bank Robbery
- Caper
- Color
- Crime
- Crime Thriller
- Dishonor Among Thieves
- Drama
- English
- Feature
- Feature Film-drama
- Gritty
- Mild Violence
- Movie
- Not For Children
- Ominous
- Profanity
- Psychological Thriller
- Sexual Situations