The Lookout

The Lookout is certainly a very interesting film. Directed and written by Scott Frank as his directorial debut after a successful career as a screenwriter beforehand, this one is certainly very well written and he certainly directs it very well. The story is told nicely and it is fun to see everything all come together after being set up. Certainly a very emotional film, The Lookout benefits greatly from strong acting performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, and Matthew Goode. Also, Isla Fisher's beauty is another major strength of this one, haha. The plot and backstory of Gordon-Levitt's character is touching and very interesting, really hooks you right into the film as you want to see how everything plays out. However, in spite of the film's best attempts to avoid being a run-of-the-mill heist thriller, this one does wind up being that in a way even with the interesting back story and twists to the typical elements of the genre. Ultimately, this one is a very enjoyable film that is just extraordinary in any way, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but does prevent it from being rated higher.

A Solid and at times exceptional film. The performances, particularly Jeff Daniels' as Levitt's constantly captivating blind friend, are all very good - accompanied by some unique and well-executed writing. While I totally enjoyed the film, small detractors include (without spoiling) certain plot elements that lack sufficient explanation or elaboration as well as characters with overly murky motives. Of course, intentionally withheld information or deliberately raised questions is often desirable - but it's hard to shake the feeling when such gaps in the story give off more of a sense of laziness rather than method or intention. Aside from this occasional lack of coherence, the film itself is quite worthwhile - providing a small-scale but captivating character-focused drama.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]