Before coming aboard to direct himself, Scott Frank's script for the ""The Lookout"" was courted by the likes of Sam Mendes, David Fincher and Michael Mann. Watching the film, it's little wonder why. ""The Lookout"" is a rare thriller for adults—the kind of film that knows carefully drawn characters are far more thrilling than car chases. In a time when one need only turn to the closest multiplex to see that the thriller is a dying genre, ""The Lookout"" breathes new life into the heist film, giving audiences characters they can care about and making the body count count.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt, former high school hockey star and golden boy, who after a harrowing car accident is left physically sound but mentally scarred. In a plot device reminiscent of ""Memento,"" Chris is unable to sequence events, and must write everything down in order to make sense of even the most basic tasks, like when to shower, or how to reheat tomato sauce. Nevertheless, he gets by with the help of his blind roommate, Lewis (a phenomenal Jeff Daniels), and a quiet job as the night janitor at a small Midwestern bank.
Chris's routine begins to unravel, however, after a chance encounter with Gary Spargo, a former high school peer, and Luvlee Lemmons, a good-natured go-go dancer—both of whom are looking for more than just friendship. Gary, it seems, has been plotting a bank robbery with several friends. All they need is someone with access to keys—like a night janitor, for instance.
Just when the story appears to be heading towards the clichAc, however, Frank subverts expectations, giving the supporting characters as much depth as the runtime will allow. Bringing new dimension to the hooker with a heart of gold role, Isla Fisher's (""Wedding Crashers"") Luvlee makes love to Chris for the first time since his accident, and while kissing his scars, explains that she was there the night he won the state hockey championships. At a time when his bosses, parents and caseworkers treat Chris like an invalid, Luvlee and Gary provide a welcome antidote, acknowledging Chris as an equal and sucking him into their scheme with the most potent weapon available—sincerity.
The story that follows is not unlike genre staples ""Fargo"" or ""A Simple Plan,"" films in which police arrive at inopportune times, money is stolen, characters backstab one another, and redemption is paid for in blood. It's the performances, however, that truly elevate the material, and seasoned-scribe Scott Frank (""Minority Report,"" ""Get Shorty,"" ""Out of Sight""), in the director's chair for the first time, knows just what he's looking for.
Sadly, however, while genre buffs will likely remember ""The Lookout"" in years to come, for the time being, it's merely the latest casualty of studio mismarketing. With a derivative poster little better than its direct-to-DVD counterparts, a throw-away title, and a trailer that ends with a declarative: ""I've got the money. I've got the power,"" it's little wonder that the film bowed to a modest $2 million debut and will quietly disappear in the weeks to come. For audiences willing to take a leap of faith, however, ""The Lookout"" will prove more than worth a look, as its tightly driven story and phenomenal performances render it the best film of the year.
