OUT OF SIGHT
Jennifer Lopez is Karen Sisco, a federal marshal who witnesses a prison
break at Glades prison in Miami. The leader of the breakout is bank robber
Jack Foley (George Clooney), and after he overpowers and disarms her, the
two of them end up in the trunk of the getaway car, driven by Jack's friend
Buddy (Ving Rhames). During their trip in these close quarters (and in one
of the film's more flimsy plot elements), she can't help becoming attracted
to her charming and gentle captor, who treats the trunk ride like a candlelit
evening at his apartment.
But when she escapes, it's back to business. Against the wishes of her
father (Dennis Farina) and her FBI agent boyfriend (Michael Keaton, in an
uncredited reprise of his role from Tarantino's Jackie
Brown), Karen begins a manhunt with a couple of different reasons
for pursuing Jack. Obviously she has to apprehend this criminal, but she
also just wants to see him again. Meanwhile, Jack, who should be concentrating
on disappearing, can't get the comely marshal out of his mind, and dismays
his accomplice by wanting to arrange a reunion with her.
After his escape, Jack and Buddy team up with another ex-con named Snoopy
(Don Cheadle) to steal a few pounds of uncut diamonds. The "ice"
is hidden somewhere in the huge mansion owned by Richard Ripley (Albert
Brooks), a wealthy banker whom they know from prison (he served time for
ripping off his customers). Thanks to the loose lips of a rather loopy dude
named Glenn (Steve Zahn), Karen finds out and plans to meet them there,
so our lovers can have their armed rendezvous.
Clooney, known for his charm and rugged good looks, has them both set
on full power in this movie. The sexual tension between him and Lopez is
palpable; it is what makes us overlook the unlikelihood of a U.S. marshal
falling for a criminal and vice versa. But what really makes this a good
film is director Soderbergh's choice to allow all the characters to be fully
explored. The plot is like a by-product; it is not the main objective of
the movie. What we are supposed to see is the interaction between these
several people, and this we do.
This film's timeline skips about from present to past and back again, forcing the audience to assemble the pieces slowly, just like Karen has to. Though there are elements of the story that are a bit far-fetched, engaging work by Clooney and Lopez (and also Rhames, Cheadle, Zahn, and Brooks) make this movie better than average. ****