THE AISLE SEAT - "OUT OF SIGHT"

by Mike McGranaghan

Out of Sight is the latest film to be based on an Elmore Leonard novel (Get Shorty and Jackie Brown are two other recent ones). It just happens that Leonard's crime capers are the epitome of cool in this post-Reservoir Dogs movie world. I'm all for it; the author focuses on well-imagined characters, snappy dialogue, and intelligent plots. Out of Sight has all these things, plus some of the best performances of the year.

George Clooney stars as Jack Foley, a smooth bank robber who uses his mind instead of a gun. "It's funny what you can get if you ask for it the right way," he says. The movie opens with Jack walking into a bank and walking out with a large envelope full of cash. But then his getaway car won't start and the cops show up. Jack gets sent to Glades Correctional Facility in Florida. Again using his brainpower, he manages to escape. His partner Buddy (Ving Rhames) waits in a getaway car on the other side of the fence. Coincidentally, so does Federal Marshall Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). They overpower her and throw her in the trunk, where Jack also hides while Buddy speeds away. Inside the trunk, Jack and Karen talk, flirt a little, and realize that - even though they are on opposite sides of the law - there is an undeniable attraction between them.

Out of Sight then does something interesting; it plays with the time frame. The story jumps back and forth between Jack's prison stint and the current day. Among the other characters we meet are a lowlife convict/boxer named Snoopy (Don Cheadle), a Michael Milkin-type investment tycoon named Richard Ripley (Albert Brooks) serving time for insider trading, and a perpetually stoned loser named Glenn (hilariously played by Steve Zahn). In flashback, Ripley offhandedly mentions to the others that he has several million dollars in diamonds hidden in his Detroit home. Back in the current day, Jack and Buddy decide to rob the guy of his diamonds, only to discover that Snoopy and Glenn have the same plan. Karen, meanwhile, tracks them all down, while still engaging in a flirtation with Jack whenever their paths happen to cross (which - due to Jack's romantic maneuvering - is often).

In many ways, Out of Sight is about the thrill of the chase in romance. Karen is a Federal Marshall, yet she's attracted to criminals (a superior officer indicates that this has happened before, with disastrous results for the guy). Jack, meanwhile, is hot for the very woman who wants to put him back behind bars. The fact that they are forbidden fruit for one another is part of the attraction (it may also help that they look like George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez).

The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also made sex, lies & videotape. He stages the action with a careful hand, allowing the attraction between the characters to become the focus instead of the caper. The approach makes sense because - for Jack and Karen - the sexuality is far more exciting than the diamond heist. By the end, we are wondering not if Jack will get the diamonds, but whether Karen will be forced to take him down. Soderbergh also makes the movie subtly stylistic by using freeze frames to allow us to catch an important action or glance. His style adds a nice flavor to the story.

In terms of performance, Out of Sight really lives up to its title. Clooney abandons what has often been described as an "aw, shucks" head-bobbing style of acting in favor of a sophisticated charm. He makes you believe that a bank robber really could be so casual and smooth. He has good chemistry with Rhames (a former "ER" supporting player). They convey a genuine friendship as well as a partnership. Steve Zahn (who appeared in That Thing You Do! and Reality Bites) is a riot as the stoner. He avoids the Cheech & Chong cliches and plays Glenn as a realistic dimwit whose brain is beyond fried. As for Albert Brooks...well, the man is nothing short of a genius in my opinion, and he's wonderful here.

That's a dynamite cast, but I think the performer who really walks away with the film is Jennifer Lopez. Her role must have been difficult to cast; Karen is supposed to be as tough as she is sexy. It's obvious that Lopez has the sexy part down, but she nails the toughness surprisingly well. Late in the picture, she sits in a car, chewing gum and silently observing the break-in at Ripley's house. With just a simple expression, the actress conveys not only toughness but confusion; busting Jack will mean busting a guy she really desires - but then again, you gotta do what you gotta do. Contrast this scene to the seduction that takes place in a hotel room and you see an actress who has a lot of dimensions to her talent. This is one of the best female roles of the year, and Lopez deserves to be remembered at Oscar time.

In addition to Soderbergh and the cast, credit goes to Scott Frank for his witty screenplay (he also penned Get Shorty). In a summer filled with mega-hyped disappointments, Out of Sight proves the undeniable value of story, characterization, and - most of all - intelligence.

( 1/2 out of four)

Out of Sight is rated R for profanity, violence, and sensuality. The running time is 2 hours and 2 minutes.