Out of Sight gained critical reviews, but as the title implies, it adds up the theatrical destiny of Steven Soderbergh’s calmly comic crime stunt and oddity romance based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. However, this is the type of buried treasure home cinema was made to save.
Jack Foley (George Clooney) is an established bank robber. While in prison, he took the chance to escape when another inmate tried to break out of prison. As planned, his partner Buddy (Ving Rhames) was waiting for him. But (not according to their plan) the presence of Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), a federal agent, surprises the two. She finds herself disarmed in more ways than one when she is thrown into the trunk of Buddy’s getaway car with Jack. However, her resolve in aiding the task force made to capture Jack is still strong as Jack plans “one last caper.”
Out of Sight is a very appealing film, stylish without being extravagant, true to the candor of Leonard’s effective dialogue and eccentric characters, and smoothly acted by a dream cast. Performances worth mentioning include Albert Brooks who plays the role of Richard Ripley, who is an insider trader that makes the mistake boasting to the wrong people that in his house, he has $5 million worth of uncut diamonds while he was in prison, Maurice (Don Cheadle) who made an agreement with Jack on stealing the diamonds, Karen’s overprotective father (Dennis Farina), Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Keaton as FBI agent Ray Nicolet (similar to his role in Jackie Brown). If you appreciated movies like Get Shorty, and Jackie Brown, you’ll find Out of Sight out of sight.
. –Donald Liebenson