Out of Sight

Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Drama
Year: 1998
Rating: 3 / 5

Out of Sight, the second Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty) novel to hit the big screen in recent years, is proof positive that George Clooney has what it takes to carry a movie. What it lacks, surprisingly, is originality, though it does have its fair share of humor and quirkiness. Shot in a fashion similar to Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, Out of Sight hops about the chronological timespan, following known convict Jack Foley, who finds himself strangely attracted to law enforcer Karen Sisco. We watch as two sizzling actors find themselves drawn to each other, even though they dwell on opposite sides of the law.

The movie opens with a bank robbery sequence, where Jack Foley (Clooney) ambles up to a tellar window, requests all the funds on the other side of the window, flashes a smile, and walks right out of the bank. This without ever drawing a weapon. One of the film's interesting nuances is that Foley, charged with over two hundred robberies throughout the country, dislikes guns, and has never carried one during a robbery. His mistake during this initial robbery, however, is that he brought a vehicle that would not start, so while he is desperately trying to rev the engine, the police apprehend him.

Imprisoned with a lengthy stay ahead of him, Foley is sprung with the help of good friend Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames). During the escape, however, the duo capture Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), an agent seeking to stop these criminals. She is thrown in the trunk of Bragg's getaway car with Foley, and the romance begins. As Foley and Bragg move from Miami to Detroit in search of one final score, they continually find themselves running into Sisco, who cannot seem to decide if she wants to arrest Foley or undress him. Foley, meanwhile, is the last thief alive with a conscience, and he cannot help but wonder what might have been if he had met Sisco under different circumstances.

Out of Sight is definitely an entertaining movie, but its pattern is one with which we are all too familiar. Clooney is truly impressive in the lead role here, and his on-screen chemistry with Lopez is something to behold. Rhames is his usual "cool" self in a supporting role, and Albert Brooks is downright quirky as the object of Clooney's last heist. All in all, Out of Sight is quite an enjoyable ride, even if we have seen the beheld the scenery before.

Cast:

George Clooney..........	Jack Foley
Jennifer Lopez..........	Karen Sisco
Ving Rhames..........	Buddy Bragg
Dennis Farina..........	Marshall Sisco
Steve Zahn..........	Glen Michaels

Certification: Rated R for sexuality and language.
Running Time: 122 minutes.

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