Rating: 
Summary: Even surpasses its title!
Review: The best movie of 1998 and almost completely overlooked by the Oscars. In light of the Oscar winners of recent years, however, I'm somewhat grateful "Out of Sight" wasn't included. I've never been a Clooney or Lopez fan, and I wasn't at all interested in "Out of Sight" when I saw the trailer, but I've never been more wrong on a first impression. Clooney is incredibly charming and suave; Lopez is unbelievably sexy and tough; and the ensemble ties it all together, with standout performances by Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames, Isiah Washington and Albert Brooks. What stands out the most to me is the movie's distinct style, which is equally present in every aspect of the film: from the slick and original editing (which at one point synchronizes freeze frames with the pulses of the soundtrack), to the clever non-linear structure of the narrative, woven together with incredible skill by Soderburgh. I cringe when people compare it to films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown," for it far surpasses these films in writing, acting and most importantly, directing. Soderburgh shows far more style and originality than the self indulgent Tarantino ever will. And more importanly, the movie actually moves, unlike the 3 hour plus "Jackie Brown." A must see for any fans of good movies.Neil Hopkins
Rating:
Summary: FIVE STAR SEXUAL CHEMISTRY
Review: George Clooney stars with Jennifer Lopez in this excellent and entertaining romantic heist movie, unfortunately much overlooked and poorly promoted on its theatrical release. Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard and superbly and subtly directed by Steven Soderbergh. George Clooney (as bank robber Jack Foley) and Jennifer Lopez (as Federal Marshall Karen Sisco) light up the screen with previously unparalleled sexual chemistry in the movie that finally launched their big screen careers to the A list, after previous false starts (such as The Peacemaker and The Money Train respectively). Also boasting a very impressive supporting cast that includes Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, Albert Brooks, Dennis Farina (as Jennifer Lopez father) and great cameos from Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson, movies really don't get much better than this. Principally this is the story of serial bank robber Jack Foley and Federal Marshall Karen Sisco, on opposite sides of the law but inescapably attracted to each other. When Jack escapes from prison aided by his friend Buddy (Rhames) he ends up in the trunk of a car with the kidnapped Karen Sisco (Lopez) after she nearly foils the prison break. However, thanks to their inept friend Glenn Michaels (Zahn), Karen escapes and Jack and Buddy have to go on the run. Meanwhile, Karen Sisco is hot on Jack's trail in more ways than one in this brilliantly played, beautifully written, excellently directed movie. This has everything I love about movies, a great story, great cast and great style. Truly unmissable and well worthy of five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Out of sight totally underestimated
Review: i absolutely loved the film!
The chemistry between jlo and George was awesome!
i absolutely loved the hypnotic tune playing softly when clooney and lopez where in the detroit bar and again when she cuffed him and the police came.
could, if possible anyone send me the notes (piano) of the tune played during the bar scene and at the end when she shoots him. i would be very grateful! Thank you!
RumenaMiah22@hotmail.com
Rating:
Summary: This movie rocks
Review: I can't recommend this movie enough. Clooney and Lopez generate a sexual heat that isn't seen very often on film these days. The script is intelligent, the characters complicated and funny, and the soundtrack is funky. Clooney portrays Jack Foley, one of the most successful bank robbers in America (over 200 at last count). He dosn't want to end up like his criminal uncle, who spent most of his time in prison and died a few years out of jail in a charity hospital. He wants one more score and retire. Ving Rhames portrays Buddy, his partner in crime and the moral center of the duo (they were busted on one of their heists because Buddy confessed to his religious sister BEFORE the crime was committed - usually he confesses AFTER). Lopez portrays Karen Cisco, a Federal agent on the hunt for Clooney, with whom she shares an undeniable chemistry. Lopez portrays a character that is tough but sexy, in complete control. So rare. The cast is rounded out with Albert Brooks, Steve Zahn and the amazing Don Cheadle. One thing: pay close attention. The story jumps around time-wise so it is important to stay on top of things and pay attention.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie of 1998
Review: Others have already commented on the movie itself (which was voted the best movie of '98 by the National Society of Film Critics, beating, among others, Saving Private Ryan), so I'll skip that and move on to the DVD Collector's edition: it's by far the best DVD I've seen. The picture and sound quality are excellent, and there are some great extras: there's a short "Inside Out of Sight" featurette, which is okay, but the real gems are the commentary by the director and screenwriter, and the deleted scenes (22 minutes worth). Among the scenes included in the deleted scenes: the original one-take version of the trunk scene, an entertaining scene with Ving Rhames and George Clooney discussing, among other things, wine and lilic-scented bath oil, and great scenes between Karen (Jennifer Lopez) and her father as well as an extended (and very insightful) scene between Karen and Adele (Clooney's ex-wife in the movie). There's also a different (and much more graphic) version of the Detroit meeting between Karen and Raymond Cruz. If you love this movie in its original form, the collector's edition DVD is worth it for the deleted scenes alone. You'll get a lot out of them. Other goodies: a nice theatrical trailer, and production and technical notes. This is what DVDs are all about.
Rating:
Summary: Go Get This Movie!
Review: I walked out of "Out of Sight" dumbfounded. What a great movie! And yet it bombed at the box office. What a world . . . I enjoyed every moment of "Out of Sight"- from the music, to the acting, to the story, to the direction. Based on a novel by the same title by Elmore Leonard, "Out of Sight" is part heist film, part love story. George Clooney has been mocked for leaving "ER", probably unfairly. Okay, so his choice of roles has been pretty much awful ("From Dusk 'Til Dawn", "Batman & Robin", "The Peacemaker"), but here he finally gets good material to work from and turns in a magnificent performance. Dare I say it? It's an Oscar-caliber performance. As Jack Foley he underplays the role to perfection. Clooney is cool, calm and totally in control. Great job. I didn't much care for Jennifer Lopez's Karen Sisco, but Ving Rhames fans will be delighted to see him in a wonderful supporting role as Clooney's friend and confidant Buddy. Rhames is a great actor who doesn't get his due often enough. Another big surprise is Don Cheadle's performance as Snoopy. He's a terrific villain: angry, threatening, unpredictable. Along with Rhames, Cheadle is a great actor who does not get enough attention. I throughly enjoyed the direction on the part of Stephen Soderbergh, who brings a different perspective to this movie than to most I've seen. The movie has the courage to jump around from place-to-place, making the assumption the audience will keep up. I like that in a movie. A great film. Highly recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: Out of Sight
Review: What happens when a savvy career bank robber (George Clooney) breaks out of jail and plans to heist millions in uncut diamonds, but falls in love with a Federal Marshall (Jennifer Lopez) who can't decide if she wants to put him in jail or take him to bed? This is a fun movie that contrasts people who want to bend the rules in their lives (because they think it will be more profitable and exciting) with people who are cold-blooded killers. Clooney plays a Sinbad-like character who has robbed more banks than any other guy on the FBI's wanted list, yet never carries a gun. While the events of the movie and Steven Soderbergh's directing perfection are able to carry the conflict through to a resolution without the need to fast forward, flashback scenes may prompt some rewinding and make the plot seem more complicated than it actually is. The impressive supporting cast, the spunky, playful characters, the funky soundtrack music, and the freeze frame shots to end key scenes make it a fun movie to watch. "Out of Sight" ultimately has an 'escapist' theme that requires little thought, which is in hard contrast to a Soderbergh movie like Traffic.
Rating:
Summary: A Smart 'n' Sexy Crime Thriller with A Brain
Review: Cinematic adaptations of books are almost always inferior because so much has to be cut out or changed to fit into a two-hour film. However, Elmore Leonard's books are tailor-made for movie adaptations because they are very visual and almost entirely dialogue and character-driven -- ideal for the screenplay format. Out of Sight is one of those rare movies that is actually better than the book. Out of Sight is really a film about possibilities and the road not taken. What could have been. Jack Foley (George Clooney) is an ace bank robber who has one of the best introductions ever put on film as he quietly and politely robs a bank with nothing more than a smile and soothing voice. Clooney, with his movie star good looks and suave charm is perfectly cast as the smooth talking criminal. This may be his finest performance to date. His character meets Federal Marshall Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) while breaking out of prison and the two hit it off immediately -- which is all the more impressive when one considers that their first meeting was spent in the cramped confines of a car trunk. After lanquishing in obscurity for many years, Steven Soderbergh put himself back on the map with this smart, sexy and wonderfully stylish crime thriller that was ignored by audiences (due to lousy advertising and an even worse release date) but much beloved by critics. Fortunately, it has been re-discovered on video. This movie just chugs along with such effortless ease and self-confidence that it is hard not to like. Besides Clooney and Lopez (turning in career-high performances), you've got a killer cast that features the likes of Steve Zahn (such an underrated character actor whose perfect here as a stoner criminal wannabe), Dennis Farina (Lopez's laid back dad who just wants to see her married to some rich guy or a cop), Albert Brooks (a bumbling white collar criminal type who is in way over his head), Don Cheadle (a tough guy-wannabe who is a classic schoolyard bully), and Ving Rhames (Clooney's tough, god-fearing partner in crime). It doesn't hurt that they have a super-smart script by Scott Frank to work with -- he perfectly understands Leonard's distinctive cadence. And then there is Soderbergh's direction. His use of freeze frames as punctuation evokes the masters of the French New Wave and his use of colour always lets you know where the characters are in the story: warm colours for Florida, cold, metallic colours for Detroit. Out of Sight also features a killer soundtrack masterminded by DJ extraordinaire, David Holmes. He mixes in his own brand of funky electronica with old school tunes from the likes of the Isley brothers and Willie Bobo that is infectious and perfectly suits the hip vibe of this film. This Collector's Edition DVD is a must-have for fans of this movie if only for the relaxed audio commentary by Soderbergh and Frank who joke and talk at length about all sorts of aspects of the movie. This is a very informative and entertaining track. Also included are some decent deleted scenes (including the car trunk scene between Clooney and Lopez in its entirety) and an excellent Making Of documentary. Out of Sight is the ideal movie for people who like smart thrillers. It is well-acted, written and directed. It is also Soderbergh's best film after Traffic.
Rating:
Summary: Sly, Intelligent Caper Film
Review: Stephen Soderbergh has a knack for making quirky films and Out of Sight is no exception. This is a caper film in the most basic sense. The quirky thing is that the film relies less on action than on character development. This is a good thing in today's prepackaged world of formula filmmaking. Out of Sight employs a stellar cast headed by George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. Clooney plays Jack Foley the down on hios luck criminal who yearns for one more score. Lopez is the federal marshall who is both out to arrest him and is strangely attracted to him. There is a definite chemistry between the leads that makes the movie fun to watch and the cat and mouse is played to perfection. Perhaps the greatest part of the film is its screenplay written by Scott Frank. Frank nails the Elmore Leonard dialogue and provides one of the better stories of the year. This DVD offers a documentary on the making of the film featuring most of the principals, a commentary by Soderbergh and Frank and a good assortment of deleted scenes. Although this was not a major box success it is a solid feature that is worth a viewing or two.
Rating:
Summary: When is this a movie for you?
Review: If you -like an original movie (taken from an Elmore Leonard novel), -aren't bothered to follow a storyline slightly more complicated than a roadrunner chase, -enjoyed Ocean's Eleven, its story and cool music, -aren't paralyzed by ridiculous stereotypes (like "tv actors are bad" or "latin singers can't act"), -like a romantic comedy that isn't sappy, but intriguing, funny, and has an unusual ending, this might be the movie for you.
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