Out Of Sight (1998)

Opposites attract

Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, Albert Brooks, Nancy Allen, Catherine Keener, Isaiah Washington, Steve Zahn, Luis Guzman, Keith Loneker, Jim Robinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Running Time: 123 minutes

US MPAA rating: N/A
UK BBFC rating: 15
Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller

On DVD

On DVD

Of all the pseudo-Pulp Fiction flicks released in the aftermath of Quentin Tarantino's finest piece of work, 'Out of Sight' must surely rank as the best. It's one of the few that takes its lead from the much-imitated 1994 flick without ever feeling like a rip-off. 'Out of Sight' has its own agenda, its own story to tell, and a cracking cast to tell it. Five years on from its big screen release, a look at the picture on DVD provides a reminder of a time when Jennifer Lopez hadn't yet strayed onto the tedious rom-com circuit. Here, she delivers a cool and stylish performance as Karen Sisco, a federal marshal who finds herself drawn to the dapper Jack Foley (George Clooney). The trouble is, Jack's a bank robber who's just escaped from the nick, and he's about to get involved in a dastardly scheme to steal a stash of diamonds from fallen Wall Street trader Richard Ripley (a well-cast Albert Brooks). Somewhere along the line, you just know there's going to be a conflict of interests. This a smart, sassy movie featuring great performances all round (including cameo gigs for Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson). Solaris helmsman Steven Soderbergh, meanwhile, manages to be stylish without allowing his directorial approach to detract from the story. It's a balance few directors seem to get right these days. Adapted from a novel by Elmore Leonard (who also penned the likes of 'Jackie Brown' and 'Get Shorty'), the tale is injected with just enough humour to keep the two hours moving along nicely, and it's always a pleasure to see a film where some care's been taken over the dialogue. This is a movie that's worth going back to.

DVD Extras: The gaudy menu leads to an audio commentary with director Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Frank, a handful of deleted scenes, some music highlights, and an 'Inside Out of Sight' featurette. Extras: 5 out of 10

It's Got: J-Lo in the best performance of her wobbly screen career.

It Needs: A better title. Is it just me or does 'Out of Sight' have no connection with the content of the film?

Alternatives: Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, Ocean's Eleven

Summary: A cool, sharp and entertaining crime caper. Overall Score: 8 out of 10