The Lookout

Directed by: Scott Frank
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Isla Fisher, Carla Gugino, Bruce McGill
Running Time: 1h 39min

A different take on the bank heist film, The Lookout does a great job of situating a big time action movie premise, into a realistic, small town setting. Gordon-Levitt plays a young man whose life has a dramatic set back, which he must deal with everyday of his life. When people from his past discover his predicament, they think of how they can manipulate him into doing what they want him to do.

Clever, surprising, and interestingly developed, The Lookout takes some nice twists and turns on the genre. From the complexity of the main character, and his own personal demons and conflict, to the imprint a small town can have on our present day relationships, every aspect of the script has many layers. It all subtly unfolds, with an ending that is satisfying and true to the characters we're presented with.

If there is any film I could compare it to, it reminds me of the late 90s film "A Simple Plan", which told the story of how money can corrupt and corrode relationships, causing people to act in ways they would have never imagined. Yet all presented in a small, intimate way, like an excellent novel unfolding before us, keeping us in suspense the whole while.

Grade: B