OUT OF SIGHT A film review by David N. Butterworth Copyright 1998 David N. Butterworth
*** (out of ****)
What ever happened to Nancy Allen?
Allen, star of many a Brian DePalma movie in the early eighties, has a brief, throwaway part towards the end of "Out of Sight," as the maid of a crooked financier. In keeping with her past performances, Allen wears little more than a green velvet Victoria's Secret ensemble which begs the question, did they really need a costume designer for this?
"Out of Sight" is not likely to secure Ms. Allen the kind of plaudits bestowed upon Pam Grier, who likewise returned from out of obscurity to appear in another recent Elmore Leonard adaptation, "Jackie Brown," but it is intriguing to see her name kicking off the "also starring" credits given her limited screen time.
The real stars of "Out of Sight" are George Clooney ("Batman & Robin" by way of "E.R.") and Jennifer Lopez ("Selena"), whose winning chemistry, coupled with Steven Soderbergh's freeze-frame directorial technique, help the film retain the charismatic charm of Leonard's original work.
With the success of "Get Shorty" three years ago, filmmakers have realized that adapting an Elmore Leonard novel can be an easier proposition than trying to dream up a storyline from scratch.
In "Out of Sight," Clooney stars as Jack Foley, a career criminal who specializes in unarmed robbery--he just waltzes into banks and politely makes a withdrawal, claiming that his "partner" (just another customer it so happens) will shoot the manager if the teller doesn't comply. For all of Jack's nice-guy charm though, he's not very lucky. His latest scam lands him in Florida's Glades Correctional Facility.
Federal Marshal Karen Sisco (Lopez) coincidentally arrives at the prison just as Jack and his buddy (Ving Rhames, typically appealing) are breaking out. There's a brief struggle and Jack bundles himself and Karen into the trunk of the getaway car. It's in these cramped confines, pressed intimately together, that Jack and Karen start falling for one another.
The mutual attraction continues as the couple on opposite sides of the law slip in and out of one another's grasp. Karen follows Jack to Detroit, where he's about to pull off another heist, this time a cache of uncut diamonds from incarcerated businessman Richard Ripley (played by a toupee-sporting Albert Brooks, almost unrecognizable in the prison scenes).
It's during this final caper-gone-awry that Allen makes her scant appearance.
Clooney's range as an actor is limited, but he has undeniable charm. Lopez, too, is easy on the eyes, but she demonstrates more depth in her portrayal of Karen, a tough yet tender professional. She dispenses with hit men as easily as she out-maneuvers sleazy pick-up artists in a bar. Especially cute is a sequence in which Karen fantasizes about Jack in a motel bathtub.
Admirably supporting Clooney and Lopez are Don Cheadle as fellow felon Maurice 'Snoopy' Miller, Steve Zahn as the perennially stoned Glenn Michaels, and Dennis Farina as Karen's dad, who affectionately buys her a piece.
Add a couple of uncredited cameos from "Jackie Brown" cast members and "Out of Sight" proves to be a lot of fun. Not as hip and clever as "Shorty," perhaps, or as complex and colorful as "Brown," but loads of fun nonetheless.
-- David N. Butterworth dnb@mail.med.upenn.edu
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