The Lookout | Scott Frank

2007
Written and directed by Scott Frank.

A prom-night car-accident leaves a carefree young man drastically changed and mentally damaged. Four years after the accident, lured by the possibility that his life may change for the better, an opportunity arrises that will get him involved in a bank-heist.

Don’t be fooled by the premise, this film is about so much more than the heist, in-fact the heist itself is perhaps the weakest element of the film. What drew me to the film and what makes this film so deliciously good is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. After an absolutely stunning performance in the neo-noir classic Brick, he proves once again that he’s come a long way since Third rock from the sun and 10 Things I hate about you. Gordon-Levitt just has such a powerful presence on screen, and truly is the centre-piece around which the film revolves. More compelling than the heist are his actions and motivations, wild emotions and daily struggles with the aftereffects of the accident; memory dysfunction, loose inhibitions, and the necessity to write everything important down. The bank-heist merely serves as a point of drama for him to affect change in his life, and truth be told the actual scenes are weak because they draw the attention away from him. Sure, there will be gunshots fired before the end of the film and overall might seem overdramatic, but I’m willing to forgive it simply because of how well the main character is written and acted out.
I have one other negative point; towards the end the music seems just a little too enthusiastic in comparison to the rest of the film, possibly giving it a younger tone than it should have, but again, it’s a minor thing.

Not for everyone I guess, some may fail to warm to Gordon-Levitt’s character which is perfectly understandable, however I found him truly enchanting. Perhaps if people like films like Brick and even The Machinist, they might be better suited to giving this one a go.

Overall I loved it, and I’m glad I gave it a punt at JB when it was on sale, as I had my eye on it for a while