The Lookout review and discussion

I've been wondering if this was worth watching. I may still add it to my Netflix queue, but I'll keep my expectations low.

Also, you're right...Levitt is an AMAZING actor.

I was disappointed in this too. It's definitely solidly acted, and I appreciated the things it got right, like the Levitt/Daniels relationship. When I first heard of a mentally challenged character living with a blind guy, I thought it could easily devolve into the worst schlock imaginable. Thankfully that never happened.

But best film of the year material? What the hell? The Super Mega Happy Ending alone wipes it off any Best Of lists.

Best of the Year? NO

Kneejerk, overly-negative DVD review? YES

Yeah, I agree. I don't get the hate of this film. It might not make my ten best list, but it's up there. I think its an incredibly solid crime movie, well written and well directed.

I disagree with you, Josh, about Pratt's transition into the life of crime. I think it's handled with tremendous grace and thoughtfulness. He's a lonely kid. He wants someone else to hang out with other than his old blind friend. The criminals make him feel special. They make him feel like they need him. They make fucking seduce him with one of the girls, for gods sake. It's not quite as "BANG" as you make it out to be. He gets caught up in the ride and doesn't really want to go through with it but (as is usually the case in films like this) gets in too deep and can't back out.

I feel like you come out and say "Fuck this movie" just because Richard Roeper likes it (big deal?) or because David Fincher didn't direct it (again, big deal?). Scott Frank did a great job. And this is way, way better then the Ice Harvest (which I don't find underrated in the slightest).

I'm not sure about his condition. I guess you could say it changed depending on the needs of the script, but inasmuch as I have no idea what is possible with severe brain trauma, I went with it. It didn't seem that out of the realm of possibility that somebody like that could be perfectly normal one minute, and another not. The rest of the script was, perhaps, a touch overwritten. There is a certain amount of mechanization you expect in a thriller, but sometimes it doesn't play to the desired effect. In the case of The Lookout, some of it was predictable (which, let's face it, isn't always that terrible a thing) and other bits felt like details thrown in for resonance that ultimately didn't add up to much.

But I thought the rest of the film was incredibly solid... which seems to be a word absolutely every person who likes this movie uses. In particular I loved the way Goode played his role. I'm not sure it recommends him as Ozymandias, but it is different enough from his Match Point role to suggest he has great range. As for Levitt, what can you say? That moment after everything goes wrong and he is driving and re-living the car crash was incredibly emotional. It really gave the film the kick in needed, in just the right moment.

This review is one of the reasons why I still like to check back to this site every now and then.

It's good to see someone not turning sheep and calling this unbelievably mediocre-to below average film the supposed "masterpiece" it has been named by the morons in the high profile critics circle. All it takes is one dumbass to start the jerk and soon afterwards the circle will complete itslef.

I thought this was pretty good, with excellent work from Levitt (I wanted to see more of him after watching Inception), Daniels and Goods. Levitt clearly researched his role, an while his arc is resaonably predictable, I found it pretty truthful and resonant- I like that he doesn't try to make it a big flashy performance, but instead melts into the character. Goode is menacing and seductive, and needs to work more.

You get to spen enough time with Levitt to understand his frustrations and motivations, and for the first hour it's a great little drama.

The heist sequence is my least favourite part of the film, in particular how the story never follows up on the cop who gets shot and how that would impact Levitt's character- the ending is too upbeat considering the events of before. I think if the cop isn't killed, you can more easily justify the happy ending- as it is it doesn't quite work. Worth watching for Levitt fans.