Rating: Summary: Steven Soderbergh and the New, Sexy Hollywood Review: It took a while for me to decide to get Steven Soderbergh, Scott Frank and Elmore Leonard's "Out of Sight" on DVD. Was it really THAT good?" I would ask myself. "Is it worth ... bucks?" Yet something kept nagging at me. Eventually it wore me down, when I found a used copy on Amazon and sprung for it at a nice discount.Having watched the film again, and partaken of a second viewing with the director's track (as the parlance would have it), I now remember why I saw this twice on the big screen in the course of a week. "Out of Sight" is a damn sexy movie - one out of only a handful in the last 20 years of the Hollywood film. And this calls to light the sum of Soderbergh's gifts as a director: he has the ability to approach big-star, high-profile filmmaking with the freshness, flair and (most of all) wit of an independent or one of the great Europeans (Fellini, Truffaut, Bergman). This might just make him the Hollywood's savior. Witness the chemistry and performances he extracts from the entire cast by playing them to their strengths. The list reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood's Underused Talents: Catherine Keener, Steve Zahn, Albert Brooks, Luis Guzman, Michael Keaton and - particularly - Don Cheadle, who should be a Huge Movie Star any day now. Then there are our leads, from the who's who of the misused. George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez are two of the Sexiest People Alive but, in the bulk of their careers, neither one seems capable of closing the deal like Jack Nicholson or Marilyn Monroe could in their respective heydays. To be fair, they don't make writers and directors the way they used to, either. But with Scott Frank's smart script and Soderberg's direction, Clooney keeps his head still, Lopez (whom I adore) seems smart, and while the film cuts back and forth between a supercharged drink in a bar and an impishly casual doffing of the wardrobe, I find myself making a mental note to make love to my wife at the nearest possible opportunity. That's a damn sexy movie. It is the kind of film Hollywood doesn't make much anymore - bold, intelligent, and full-frequency entertainment, from steamy to funny to scary at the drop of an editor's blade. And it all carries over perfectly from the big screen to the comfort and convenience of my living room sofa. The DVD's commentary track is immensely imformative and even entertaining in its candor, as we witness the eternal struggle between writer and director played out in a series of anecdotes about a sometimes acrimonious process. It reminds us by the end that a lot of sweat and tears go into a work of art. "Out of Sight" is certainly that.
Rating: Summary: "Best Movie Ever" Review: Ok, Simpsons quote aside, this one is really good. If you like any of the following I would suggest buying this DVD: Great performances, smooth/sweet/mellow love scenes, caper movies, Ving Rhames, Traffic, or intelligent film style. I leave out Clooney and Lopez because, honestly, they both transcend their own images and become something totally reminiscent of old-school Classical Hollywood. Really, their work before and after has not even come close to what they do in this film. It may be impossible to describe, but they both have it in this movie. Chemistry I guess, but even during scenes in which they are apart they are amazing. Soderbergh's direction has something to do with it certainly...but even the great performances he gets out of his cast in Traffic doesn't come close to what he gets here. Phew... To put all the above into perspective, I'd usually rather watch Die Hard than any given movie about romance...but this is one film I could watch over and over again and never get bored. If you are looking to buy a great all-around movie then this should be on your list. The special features on the DVD are also amazing. The deleted scenes aren't bad, not as great as deleted scenes on other discs, but the commentary is great. I've only heard 20 or so commentaries, but the one on this disc is the best of them all. If I could give it more stars, I would.
Rating: Summary: This isn't exactly what we had planned....STEAM!! Review: Well, to be totally cliche & steal from the film: It's your thing. And this film's got it. Funny, sharp, smart, sexy, and filled with tension, it grabs you right away & you know you're in for the ride. The tensions between Clooney and Lopez sparkle, snap, and flash, playing off the physical attractiveness of both actors while relying on their faces to convey any overt emotions. There is a certain scene in a hotel where the camera is no more invasive than to focus on the heads of these two, yet the atmosphere (combined with the deadly sexual slow beat of the music) is supercharged and highly erotic. A bank robber falling in love - or at least lust - with a Federal Marshal. Interesting scenario, yet what I was pleased with was that in this case the gender roles are flipped - whereas it is often the male who is the Big Strong Police Figure, here we have the sassy, snappy, falls-for-the-wrong-guys Karen Sisco. She is slightly highstrung, addicted to nicotine gum rather than cigarettes, wears stilettos on a raid, and always looks perfect. Don't let that fool you: She packs a gun. A Sig Sauer .357, no less, and one which her dad gave her for a birthday present. She also is adept with a long, double-barreled shotgun. Yet her mental state, at the beginning of this film, seems decidedly shaky. This condition only intesifies when, being in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is it just the right place, the right time, for her?) she is bundled into the boot of a car with a sweaty, filthy, jailbreaking bank robber. That is, until she looks at him. Ok, Casanova. Ladies - I ask you, how much was Jennifer Lopez PAID to do this? Does that seem at all unfair? ;) Well, long story short, during a bumpy ride over a dark road in close quarters with an incredibly charismatic bank robber, something happens. Spark. Tinder. FLAME. She would much rather stay in her dreamworld of a steaming, candlelit tub, let me tell you. And - oh, by the way, ladies, THIS is erotic. Just be careful not to break the tape if it's rental; they charge a lot if you do that. ;) Cat and mouse games ensue, until....eventually, against all better judgement and going strictly by their discovered sensations, they meet. A "time-out", Karen calls it, and Foley is all too glad to humor her rationalization. She could, after all, arrest him anywhere. but the hunter has become the hunted, and she has done what she must never do: she has become emotionally attached. The end is left loose, ripe for a sequel, and however much I might want that, it is better all round if they never try to write one. this way, those who want Foley to spend life in prison can think that, and those who want -well, want Karen to basically become a fugitive herself - sure, think that. This is not a fabulous movie. But it's a very, very well-laid one. See it. Now. "Well you're a legend in your own time A hero in the footlights Playing tunes to fit your rhyme But you're a legend in your own time" - It was said that Foley robbed over 200 banks. Have a nice day.
Rating: Summary: Lopez & Clooney Shine Review: Out Of Sight is yet another movie based on an Elmore Leonard book. Mr. Leonard's books are always full of colorful characters and sharp dialogue and unfortunately that many times doesn't transfer to the screen. This movie is another story. Steven Soderbergh has taken the true spirit of the book and captured it in this movie. The movie is interspersed with flashbacks and this allows us to see how characters got to certain points in the film. The film revolves around bank robber Jack Foley (George Clooney) and FBI agent Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). Foley breaks out of a Florida prison and comes into contact with Karen as his accomplices hijack her and her car. She and Foley are put in the truck and the conversation between the two of them is scintillating. They let her go unharmed and she is on the case tracking him, but she finds that she has feelings for him. There are some great plot twists that I won't give away and the movie ends in surprising fashion. This movie showed that George Clooney had big screen star potential as his understated, cool persona is perfect for this role. Jennifer Lopez burns up the screen with sexy charm. The supporting players include the always solid Ving Rhames, a sinister Don Cheadle and a hysterical Steven Zahn. Out Of Sight is a fast-paced, well-crafted and completely entertaining movie.
Rating: Summary: Favourite movie of the nineties Review: Whilst there were a lot of excellent movies shown in the 90's this one has to be my favourite. Because (kids aside) there's something for everyone in this film - romance, crime caper, comedy. The director, Soderbergh, starts to fulfill his potential that was displayed way back when with "sex, lies and videotape" and is continuing to fulfill in "Traffic". Out of Sight is a movie that doesn't talk down to the audience, instead treating them like intelligent adults. It's the story of a bank robber, Foley (Clooney), and the cop who pursues him, Sisco (Lopez), and the romance that develops between the two. In a twist of sexual politics, Foley is the pacifist criminal (he never uses guns) and Sisco is the gun-toting law enforcer (she even gets a gun for a birthday present). Clooney and Lopez are electric in their roles giving their best performances to date, Lopez did a lot of gun-handling to get into her character. Charm and sophistication ooze effortlessly from the two leads who have a chemistry unmatched since Bogie and Bacall. The support cast is great too, Rhames is very watchable and Cheadle is menacing as the villain Snoop. From the opening bars of the Isley Brothers to the surprise Samuel Jackson cameo at the finish, Out of Sight is sheer delight. Sit back and enjoy.
Rating: Summary: Soderbergh's direction makes it worthwhile Review: 'Out of Sight' might have turned out to be a simple, undistinguished tale in someone else's hands, but Steven Soderbergh turned it into a minor sensation. First, he threw out all ideas of standard narrative and tells you the tale somewhat out of sequence, to great effect. Second, he somehow got George Clooney to stop being "George Clooney, movie-star" and instead become a great movie actor. He's terrific as flawed criminal Jack Foley. Don Cheadle, as he does in almost every movie he appears in, steals the film. And Jennifer Lopez...wow. There are a couple of scenes that left me slack-jawed. I loved Dennis Farina in his role as Lopez's Dad, but...Dennis Farina as Jennifer Lopez' Dad? That strains my understanding of how traits are passed down via genes.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Movie. George, Jennifer, and Don Rock! Review: George Clooney is so incredibly good in this movie. I forgot he was on ER! You can always count on Jennifer Lopez to play the tough but sexy girl in the movie, and as usual, Don Cheadle is the best actor around. This movie had everything, excellent storyline, great script, and lots of "believable" action. BRAVO.
Rating: Summary: George Clooney could do better Review: No wonder this film bombed at the box office---it's not that good. Jennifer Lopez was far better in "Selena".
Rating: Summary: A crime drama we happily cop to relishing Review: In the opening scene of Out of Sight, a richly textured crime drama with characters, plot and humor to spare, a bank robber (Clooney) pauses in the middle of a holdup to smile reassuringly at the teller who's cramming cash into a bag for him. "Is this your first time being robbed?" he asks her. "You're doing great." Doing great doesn't exactly describe Clooney's movie career to date (although One Fine Day was cute, The Peacemaker, Batman & Robin and From Dusk till Dawn were generic garbage), but his sharp, sexy turn as a gentleman bandit in Out of Sight just may change that. Deftly adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel and smartly directed by Steven Soderbergh (sex, lies and videotape), Sight is by far the ER star's best movie. In playing a career criminal who can't get a break (his getaway car stalls in that opening scene, and he's soon doing 30 years without parole), Clooney has finally found a movie role that adroitly showcases his smoldering good looks and smart-aleck demeanor. Sight shifts back and forth in time, and viewers must pay close attention to keep up, but it's worth the effort. This movie succeeds, more so than either the brash Get Shorty or the self-indulgent Jackie Brown, both also based on Leonard books, in capturing the novelist's cockeyed comic take on small-time hoods and their never-ending skirmishes with lawmen. Make that law-women. Here sultry Lopez is cop to Clooney's robber. She's a federal marshal who, while on Clooney's trail following a jailbreak, finds herself attracted to him, as he is to her. The top-drawer ensemble cast features winning work by Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn and Don Cheadle as Clooney's fellow outlaws, Dennis Farina as Lopez's dad, Albert Brooks as a disgraced financier and Catherine Keener as Clooney's ex, who cheerily advises him, "Honey, try not to get shot." (And watch for Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson, both Jackie Brown vets, in unbilled cameos.)
Rating: Summary: Here It Comes... Review: Surpriseingly Good film with George Clooney as an escaped con man and Jennifer Lopez as a FED who tries to bring him in,even though she sort of falls in love with him. The script and acting are pretty good also, however the film has a predictable ending, It's still watchable never the less.
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