Ah, the plight of the long gestating screenplay. At a screening for writer/director Scott Frank's ‘The Lookout,’ it was discussed that Frank has been working on getting this film off the ground for ten years. In the meantime, Christopher Nolan's film ‘Memento’ was released, and the two films, with their head injury, note-taking protagonists, initially seem similar.
Former high school hockey star Chris Pratt is adjusting to a disability resulting from a car accident, one that also left two of his friends dead and his girlfriend injured. Now having problems with short term memory and social interaction, Chris strives to live some version of an independent life, working a night shift as a bank janitor and living away from home with his blind roommate (a great Jeff Daniels).
A new friendship with an ex-criminal intoxicates Chris with the promise of further freedom, until he realizes that he needs to stop a robbery at his place of employment before it's too late.
Continuing his well-regarded track record, Scott Frank utilizes his talents for character, dialogue, and atmosphere, with dimly lit housing and a snow covered setting as the stage for a troubled man.
Balancing between a character study and a robbery, Frank's story luckily avoids too much of the now tired "We're gonna pull off one last big heist!" plot. But while The Lookout is a solid film, it ultimately feels forgettable, not as memorable as Levitt's recent film ‘Brick,’ for instance.
Several components do strengthen the film, including the lead performances. There are certain actors that bring a smile to your face when you see them on screen, simply for the reliability of their talent. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has joined that rank. He has smartly chosen roles in films that garner less box office fanfare, but are consistently well-acted and challenging.
Jeff Daniels shines as the witty Lewis, a loyal man who can guess where Chris is headed. There is an enjoyable, quietly scathing exchange between Lewis and Luvlee (Isla Fisher), Chris' alluring new acquaintance of questionable motive.
As the main criminal, English actor Matthew Goode disappears into an American role impressively, making it impossible to think of his character in last year's ‘Match Point.’
As anyone who's ever tried to come up with a plot knows, there are only so many original ideas, but ‘The Lookout’ is not a Memento Lite. While ‘Memento’ relied on structure and tricking the viewers minds, ‘The Lookout’ is a straight-forward glimpse of a major change in a man's life and the decisions he faces in the year that follows. The film is not about figuring out a puzzle, but rather about witnessing a desire to feel normal once again, and the potential consequence of that desperation.
While not spectacular, ‘The Lookout’ stands on its own more than you think it will.
The Lookout
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