DVD Review: The Lookout

Looking for an engrossing character study crossed with a heist film? Well have I got a movie for you. Earlier this year, screenwriter Scott Frank made his directorial debut in stunning fashion with The Lookout. It is a film that was advertised as being about a bank robbery, but with a twist. One of the characters is manipulated into assisting until the tables get turned. Sounds rather simplistic, but there is much more to it than that. The heist is actually just a small part of the story, a very important part, but it is much more about the main character, played by the ever impressive Joseph Gordon Levitt.

The film opens with a turning point in young Chris Pratt's (Levitt) life. It is a scene of beauty crossed with tragedy that will forever scar the young man. Pratt was a high school hockey star, one of the cool, popular kids that had everything going for him, pretty girlfriend, rich family, the sky was the limit. While out with his friends, heading to a party, there is a horrific car accident that leaves two of his friends dead, his girlfriend seriously injured, and himself with brain damage.

The story picks up a year removed from the accident. Chris is attempting to put his life in order, struggling with the effects of brain damage. He has issues with sequencing events, remembering what he needs to do, in addition to impulse and anger control issues, all of which conspire to keep him from living a normal life. To help him cope with these problems he takes classes on how to structure life and is rooming with a well adjusted blind man, Lewis (Jeff Daniels), serving as his mentor.

Chris works as a night janitor at a small bank, where he aspires to gaining enough control to become a bank teller, but is summarily denied by the manager due to his sequencing issues. One night, after work he runs into an old acquaintance from his high school days, Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode), who accepts Chris for who he is now and introduces him to an ex-stripper named Luvlee Lemons (Hot Rod's Isla Fisher), who is more than eager for a hook-up with the former hockey star. Before Chris knows it, he is being manipulated by his new "friend" to assist in a burglary of the bank that he works at.

Of course, the heist does not go as planned, as Chris is able to gain the upper hand. While this heist is an interesting thread, it is merely that, a thread. However it is a big key in the character study that is Chris. Here is someone who lives with daily reminders of the tragedy in his past, living with the guilt of his culpability in what happened, not to mention the fact that he has to rely on notes and routine just to get through the day. It is fascinating watching Chris struggle with all of this, and draw a newfound strength from the heist that seems to move him in the right direction, towards forgiving himself and taking steps towards redemption.

Is The Lookout perfect? No, but it is wonderfully effective, and tightly focused. It probably could have used another 15 minutes to flesh out the supporting cast a bit more, but that is really a minor nit. It is a movie that will have you riveted to your seat, waiting to see what comes next. The character of Chris Pratt is an interesting one. At times he is a jerk, others a sap, but always sympathetic. He is a character that you want to see succeed. Pratt has layers, a complete and rounded character. He is the reason for the movie, the heist, and all else are completely secondary to the development of Pratt.

I have to say that Joseph Gordon Levitt has been on a great run lately, playing interesting characters in films outside of the mainstream. He is carving out a niche in the neo-noir genre that puts his considerable ability on display, take this film with Brick and Mysterious Skin as an example of what he can do. He has come a long way since Third Rock from the Sun.

Writer/director Scott Frank, whose work includes Minority Report, The Interpreter, and Out of Sight, is impressive here. His debut is one of promise, with an interesting visual style and the ability to remain tightly focused on his subject. It will be interesting to see what he does next. This is even more interesting considering that he did not intend on directing the film. At one point David Fincher and Brad Pitt were attached to direct and star, at another point Leonardo DiCaprio was going to star. Those may have been interesting films, but I cannot see anyone other than those who did make this movie.

Audio/Video. The disk looks and sounds good. The anamorphic image is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The colors are crisp, but muted, perfectly capturing what I remember from the theater. The sound is a fine 5.1 Dolby mix, which makes good use of the channels despite not being a terribly flashy film.

Extras. This is not a packed special edition, but the extras are worth your time.

• Behind the Mind of Chris Pratt. This is a 10 minute featurette on Joseph Gordon Levitt and what he did to create the character. He is impressive to listen to. He has become a very good actor who is dedicated to his craft and worked hard at making Chris and his condition believable.
• Sequencing The Lookout. This is a more traditional making of featurette which chronicles the journey Scott Frank took to get it made. It is hard to believe that it was twelve years ago that it was first pitched. It runs nearly 20 minutes.
• Commentary. The track features writer/director Scott Frank and DP Alar Kivilo. The track is a good listen with little dull time and plenty of information about the making of the film.

Bottomline. First rate character driven thriller. Filled with great touches and small performances all adding much flavor to the proceedings. The Lookout is so much more than a heist film. It is a movie to watch and absorb and just flat out admire. It was criminally under seen at the cinema, hopefully the word will get out about this gem.

Highly Recommended.