The Lookout (2007) User Reviews (171)

Great performances and a solid directorial debut for Scott Frank

[freaky_dave · 8/10 · 29 January 2008]

The Lookout was an amazing movie with splendid performances all around. It's hard to believe that Joseph Gordon Levitt was once on "3rd Rock From The Sun". He's come along way.

After a horrible accident which killed two people, seriously wounded another, and left Chris Pratt (Levitt) with a brain injury which makes it nearly impossible for him to remember things without writing them down in a notebook that he carries with him, he is no longer the cocky hockey player. Instead he now lives his life while working as a janitor in a bank and living with a blind roommate named Lewis (Jeff Daniels in a fascinating performance).

While drinking at a bar, he meets the charismatic Gary Spargo (played by Matthew Goode) who then introduces Chris to the lovely Luvlee Lemons (Isla Fischer.) They later asked him to serve as lookout while they rob the bank he works at. Chris at first doesn't agree, but Gary plays the other people in Chris' life against him in subtle ways, and after Chris finds out that some of what Gary said seems true, he agrees. The story goes on from there, but I will not even discuss the ending.

The lookout is a strong movie, and it is the phenomenal acting which holds the movie together the best. Scott Frank has a way of getting the best out of his actors here, and what we get is a psychological drama that holds your interest. At a brisk 99 minutes, it seemed over much too quickly. Some of the later scenes in the movie felt a little contrived I agree, but even they pale in comparison to the welcoming acting where even the main villain (Goode) doesn't seem totally utterly evil. Of course I can't say the same thing about his quiet henchman with the glasses.

I liked this movie a lot, but I do wish we could've gotten to know more about Luvlee Lemons. Her character seem to be pushed out later in the movie, and I found myself a little disappointed in this. Still, overall this was a very good movie.

Whoever Has the Money Has the Power

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 4 May 2008]

In 2003, in Kansas, the popular and reckless high school hockey player Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) goes to a party with his girlfriend and two friends on the backseat of his convertible through the old Route 24. In a moment, he turns the headlights off to admire the bright sky and has a tragic car crash. Four years later, his head injury still affects his memories and he uses a notebook to help him to recall his activities. He is no longer admired and works as night janitor in the Noel State Bank & Trust due to his mental incapacitation. He lives with his only friend, the blind Lewis (Jeff Daniels) that he met while recovering in a medical center, and helps him in the daily activities. When he meets Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode) in a bar, he is introduced to the sexy Luvlee (Isla Fisher) and has sex with her after a long period of abstinence. Chris gets closer to Gary, and sooner he is invited to help his gang to rob the Noel Bank. Chris is upset with his lifestyle and sees the chance to change his life, convinced that whoever has the money has the power.

"The Lookout" is an excellent dramatic thriller, in spite of the common theme "bank heist. The screenplay builds perfectly the lead character Christopher Pratt from a successful and promising teenager to a frustrated mentally incapacitated and with remorse and guilty complex young man, with a total lack of professional perspectives and no-longer successful with women. The result is quite predictable, but the way the plot is disclose is amazing. The resemblance of the talented actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt with the recently deceased Heath Ledger is impressive. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Deceptively captivating.

[Deckard-16 · 8/10 · 1 April 2007]

When you look at Scott Frank's writing credits --especially "Minority Report" and "Out Of Sight"-- it is really no surprise that this is an unusually smart and entertaining crime drama.

It is an "adult movie" in the best sense of that term.

This is a beautifully bleak looking movie where all the color is in the characters and their behavior. The acting is top notch. I've never seen this Levitt kid before, but he captures emotional and intellectual numbness with a finesse I haven't seen since Guy Pierce's work in "Memento". It is a tough role and he hits it out of the park. Jeff Daniels is Oscar-worthy as his best friend and Matthew Goode plays a guy who you know sheds more than one skin each year. Isla Fisher is a welcome ray of sunlight in this dark tale.

It is the anti-"300" (which I liked a lot). This movie really sneaks up on you, it doesn't bludgeon you but before you know it you are totally spellbound by it.

I'll be looking forward to the next movie directed (and written) by Scott Frank.

An absorbing study of depression and rehabilitation

[JohnDeSando · 25 March 2007]

So you want a good heist film? See Dog Day Afternoon, as tense a study in botched robbery and kidnapping to come out of the '70's as any. Don't think the sweet Lookout will carry the same tension because it so heavily relies on the character exposition of its protagonist, Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), that the heist is just an artful ending to an absorbing study of depression and rehabilitation.

Chris, a rock-star hockey player in high school, terminates that celebrity with a reckless accident that leaves him impaired emotionally and physically. So he's easy prey for a gang that entices him to help them rob a rural Kansas bank, where he is a janitor. Up to the point of the gang contacting him, Chris tries heroically to perform actions in a logical sequence. But even his family, especially his father, is impatient with his arrested development, although they are generous in financially supporting him as he goes on the mend.

Writer/director Scott Frank rarely lets Chris out of the frame, to good effect, because the actor and his lamentable past draw us into his narrow world in sympathy but not pity. Chris is determined to arrange his life in a sequence, with the help of his notebook and roomie, a blind and perceptive, bearded, guitar-playing Jeff Daniels, whose lines provide humor and balancing perspective as Chris slips into the heist. Both actors exude realistic, humorous, world weary personas that perfectly reveal the ambivalence Chris brings to this life-defining crime.

The Lookout is a small film, released at dumping time right after the Oscars, but an invigorating study of humans under stress. It begs all of us to "lookout" where we are going, either on a lonely road with our lights turned off or in a plan to steal from farmers who have made life possible.

A Bleak Winter,,,,,Fargo-Lite

[garynorton · 7/10 · 27 February 2008]

This is one of those slightly odd-ball heist movies which manages to carry off the down beat vibe and still be more-or-less convincing. Think of it as a Fargo-lite. Gordon-Lovett, following on from his excellent turn in "Brick",plays a College Ice Hockey star player, whose reckless "gift" to his girlfriend ends with her maimed and two other friends dead. Four years on, he is partially brain-damaged, confused and a self-loathing young man, going to "special needs" class to help deal with day-to-day tasks. No longer functioning as he was, he maintains a part-time janitor job at night in a small town bank. The nearest he gets to his dream ice hockey career now is using the mop as his stick and some urinal disinfectant blocks as pucks; shooting them into the waste bin. If he thought he had problems now; just wait until his new found "friend" reveals why everything in his life is starting to look up.... This has that mix of oddness that works for the most part, such as Gordon-Lovett's dependence on his a blind friend and flat-mate; played really well by Jeff Daniels. The main bad guy has value, although the femme fatale, played by Isla Fisher is probably too good to be true- and her character arc is left open-ended.

Roped and corralled into helping to rob his bank, he starts to sense all in not right-but its too late to back out now.............

All in all, I really enjoyed this until the top-and-tail ending. In a few narrated scenes at the end, the writer conspires to undo a lot of the hard work. The writers pen is dropped for a broad stroke "rainbow" paintbrush , resolving a lot of issues quite flippantly and totally ignores others. Perhaps the director should have got a re-write, but as he and the writer are one and the same, this was not to be!

Still, it was a good character driven piece of film-making overall and Gordon-Lovett is one to watch. He also bears a striking resemblance to Heath Ledger both in appearance, as well as ability.

not as good as some would let you believe

[pepekwa · 6/10 · 15 February 2008]

This was an interesting sleeper hit which got some rave reviews on here. A lot of people said this was more of a thinking person's movie and not a "popcorn" flick although there are some action sequences later on for those deprived. While this was a well thought out idea, the film took a long time to get going, after 40 minutes, i was saying, "yeh he's got a brain injury, some of his functions are limited, what else!" The movie desperately needed some sub-plots to keep it moving. No complaints with the cast, Matthew Goode was a chilling villain and did a great Midwestern accent for an English guy and its always a pleasure to see the very delectable Mrs borat in any film while Jeff Daniels stole the show as the blind best mate. As well as the movie only plodding along for the first hour, for me there were other plot holes like why Chris would have been allowed to drive, he strange role his family played in this as they were both cold and compassionate at the same time and why he would have the role he did in the bank heist amongst other things. The ending also disappointed as he really should have been charged in some way for being complicit in the bank raid and while I'm very much an anti Hollywood happy ending person, there should have been something else happening, I'm not sure what but it all ended on an anti-climax for me. These faults aside, its still a good movie and it would be interesting to see what the writer/director would do with a bigger budget and if he just concentrated on directing.

Ralph Nader: Indefinitely running.

[freakfire-1 · 7/10 · 11 June 2008]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems to pop up where I least expect him. Having not heard his name since the glorious days of "3rd Rock from the Sun", he turns up in this movie. And while it was surprising, his acting didn't fall flat.

Joseph is paired with Jeff Daniels of "Dumb and Dumber" fame. They are a unique pair. Joseph has loss of short term memory due to a tragic accident and Daniels is blind. Daniels is sharp with his biting sarcasm and crazy one liners. But Joseph is stays serious, distancing himself from his earlier days.

It had some good moments and things really heat up during the robbery. The action with the security guard at the bank along with the plot at the end made it an interesting bit to watch. Worthy of its awards? Doubt it, but it certainly surprised a little. "B"

The Lookout delivers.

[MorganGrodecki · 9/10 · 30 March 2007]

I had a conversation with a friend earlier this week, regarding the lack of effort being put into films these days. In the 21st century, there are very few films worth seeing, in comparison to the earlier 80's, and 90's. Back then, there weren't 100's of movies being churned out a week, with only 1 or 2 being even half decent. This is the reason that this movie took me entirely by surprise.

The movie is centered around Chris Pratt ( Josepth Gordon-Levitt), a partially handicapped man, in his earlier 20's. Chris used to live a great life, have great friends, and amazing talent on the ice. Now, after a car accident that changed his life, he suffers from slight mental handicaps, although they are prominently random, and don't have a major effect on the movie. Chris is still recovering from his car crash, and trying to move up in his job. He works at "Noah's Central Bank" as a Janitor, but has been pushing to be a teller for ages. Desperate for companions, Chris jumps at the first person to befriend him, and slowly falls into the wrong crowd. As Chris gets deeper and deeper in with his group of friends, he's pressured to help them with a robbery. Only catch: The heist is taking place at his bank.

Although the movie seems pretty straightforward, the plot can be deceiving. First of all, if you are going to this movie expecting a movie based solely around a bank heist ( a la Inside Man), go to blockbusters and rent "Dog Day Afternoon". This movie focuses, for the most part, around Chris, and his decent from an innocent, hard working Janitor, to a confused, misled, and frustrated individual. Although not of the same Hollywood callibur as movies such as Inside Man, it is still easily worth the ticket. Which brings me to my next point.

After seeing this movie, I felt refreshed. I went into a movie, expecting explosions, poor dialogue, and close ups of bodies being blown away. I couldn't of been farther off. This movie veers away from Hollywood, and it pulls it off miraculously. The dialogue is crisp, the violence existing, but not overused, and the characters deep. I may only be so impressed by this movie because of what I was expecting, but I none the less recommend it to anyone willing to actually think during a movie, rather than watch a bunch of cars blow up.

Solid Character Drama w/ Heist Elements

[pc95 · 7/10 · 19 November 2010]

I liked "The Lookout" pretty well. It's story moves and progresses along with good pacing. What it lacks in originality it makes up with pretty good social relationships, and an cast who all-around do a competent job. Jeff Daniels gets to steal the show for the most part, and to that extent, he helps lift most of the scenes he's in. With his help and the fairly serious Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film has a balanced kind of feel to it character-wise. The heist is more-or-less run of the mill; (spoiler) we've seen these types of bank robber stories before done more intricately or bombastically. However, (spoiler) the brain trauma that Levitt's character had throws in an interesting bend to the whole scenario. The heist becomes sort of a backdrop and conflict for the friendship of the main characters, Overall, the movie work well, and is recommended.

What film making is about

[godwatcher · 10/10 · 17 August 2006]

This is incredibly entertaining and solid piece of film making, by Scott Frank. The film travels on a road that its laid out for the audience to see steps ahead, but that never matters, b/c you are constantly in suspense over what will happen to the incredibly well drawn characters in the film. Frank also shows tons of directorial flair to accompany his writing prowess. The whole cast was amazing, Matthew Goode is completely unrecognizable and is perfect in the film. Jeff Daniels again dons a Beard and steals his scenes, every line of his dialog either makes you laugh, think or just compels the movie forward, and Joseph Gordon Levitt again proves why he is capable of being one of the next great movie stars. Go see this movie and tell your friends to do the same.

This is the kind of film Hollywood should be making,

Good genre movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 7 August 2010]

Basically a lot of genre movies got made over the past years and I must say that this is definitely one of the better ones and also works out as one of the more original ones, despite its story.

Once you start thinking about it, the movie its story really doesn't make much sense. I mean, the plan of the bank-robbers is just pretty stupid and needlessly over-complicated, which only makes the risks for them even higher to get caught, or to get double crossed. Why did they even need the help of Pratt, it's not like he could had done much of they forced him. So the whole softening up of him, in order to get him to help out with the heist is just pretty silly and pointless in the first in the first place. Any other person would had gone to the police or FBI straight away once he heard with the gang was up to. It would had surely saved himself a lot of trouble.

But than again, it's not like most other movies have stories that do make sense or are realistic, which is most of the cases just fine. As long as you believe and are taken by the movie its story and characters it doesn't matter that much if the story is being air tight or realistic. And that is the case with this movie. So even though the story is far from a likely one, it won't prevent you from not liking this movie.

It also helps that the story has more subplots in it, rather than just one main plot line. It gives the characters some more depth because of their back-stories, which in return also gives the movie some more layers, which in return makes the movie still an original one to watch as well.

It's a movie with a really pleasant flow, despite of the fact that the movie does has some slower moments in it. It's simply a nice modern done heist-flick by Scott Frank, who made his directorial debut with this movie. He also wrote the script, as well as for plenty of other well known movies. His movies often seem to have a fast style in them. I like him.

It's also a movie with some good acting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels are the biggest names but the movie also has some more fine supporting actors in it. It was also good to see Jeff Daniels in a good movie again. Too bad that it didn't really jump started his career again. The acting is also really what keeps the movie going and make it and its character still a compelling and involving one.

It's not the greatest movie you'll ever see but it's simply one that is fine and original within its genre, especially when compared to most stuff that came out recent years, within its genre. In that regard this movie feels like a pleasant and very welcome breath of fresh air.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Non-Formulaic Mixture of Heist Film and Character Drama

[jzappa · 8/10 · 1 April 2007]

What was interesting about going to see The Lookout, for me, was the uncertainty with Scott Frank, the screenwriter who makes his directorial debut here. It would be one thing if he were a screenwriter whose work I've seen was all original. If his previous screenplays had been great original works, I'd be absolutely sure that he'd be a great director, but because the only films he's written that I've seen have been adaptations of Elmore Leonard novels and a Philip K. Dick story, it was not only the first time I'd see his direction by also the first time I'd experience his own story.

I found that the script was great. I enjoy heist films possibly more than any other genre, and even though the heist itself is not so intricate and clever the way I prefer them the premise that sets up the gimmick used in the heist is quite clever. Really though, the film is not about the heist at all. It's about a very young person whose life is now completely different because of a car wreck that was all his fault. He has short term memory loss and deals with its shortcomings accompanied by horrible feelings of guilt for the deaths of his two friends and the maiming of his girlfriend. The movie at times seems a little uneven, because the makings of a thriller are intercut estrangedly with the makings of a slice-of-life drama. But both sides of the story work and it's generally fulfilling despite not being so tightly done. The movie is, upon reflection, reminiscent of realist films from the 1970s in its story and directorial style.

The cinematography and editing are adequate, yet strangely, in many scenes, particularly those that take place at the main character's family's home and those that takes place at the bank, have great atmosphere, a coziness.

What I admire about the movie is that it avoids clichés that seem on the very brink of being outrageous displays of them. For instance, there is the friendly airhead patrol cop that stops off at the bank every night to check up on things, bringing doughnuts and all, and we feel as if we know what will happen with him, and even now, one can't truly say it was or wasn't expected. The almost unbearably riveting climax, for instance, is for heist movie fans, a near-cliché, but wraps up with a fresh and new take on what we would expect. The characters are all inventive actually, and quite realistic.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a very young face without a name, will perhaps have a name now due to his deep, impressive performance in the title role. Jeff Daniels, however, has reached the point in his career where he steals every scene he is in, a la Michael Caine or Al Pacino, playing the sagacious and outgoing friend. Matthew Goode, playing the lead villain, is also a major plus for the cast. Leave it to an English actor to portray the villain with such a whispering convincing disposition that even we almost like him at first even though we are in on his scheme from the beginning. Greg Dunham, who plays another would-be cliché, the stoic sunglassed killer of only about five words in his vocabulary, avoids clichehood by somehow drawing such intense hatred from the audience that we are spared nothing by his cold and ruthless behavior.

Fargo without the humor

[swinms · 6/10 · 28 March 2007]

I liked this movie but, without Jeff Daniels providing comic relief, it would have been insufferably serious. The young actors have lots of promise, though. Matthew Goode and Isla Fisher were creepily believable despite some obvious holes in the story (eg. what happened to Luvlee?). I think it would have worked better as a black comedy in the vein of "Fargo". The setting was certainly similar with that frosty white landscape speckled with blood, violence, and nasty language. Berg, as Cork, seemed to channel Willem Defoe. Where have I seen this character before? "Wild at Heart"? Ms. Fisher's sweet yet trashy and naive character stole the movie for me - complete with her Tinsley Mortimer hairdo. Overall, I've seen these characters and this story before. Still, it is interesting and worth an hour and 45 minutes of your time.

A frustratingly boring watch.

[CineCritic2517 · 2/10 · 28 November 2007]

Apart from the many logic holes, this movie is simply boring in a rather unpleasant way.

Our protagonist (Chris Pratt) can't handle the lifting of a spoon at the dinnertable, can't remember to pull out the car-key before exiting and has a general impediment when it comes to sequencing events (sound familiar?). Yet he is allowed to drive a car (albeit most of the time under the supervision of a blind man) and is forgiven that he drives around at night without the lights on. This thanks to a card he carries around which reads that he suffered a head injury but despite the fact that driving without lights got him his injury in the first place.

I would like to have one of them cards, I wonder what I can get away with. Maybe robbing a bank?

We passingly see our protagonist dealing with his life being mentally impaired. But never is his world really explored. Never are the people he encounters really focused on. Some flimsy scenes in some rehabilitation centre, a hasty conversation with a therapist and some repetitive scenes in which he can't remember how to perform everyday actions. With subplots that go nowhere for most of the show, the movie finally picks up some speed as the heist comes closer but this is almost already at the end of it. I wont spoil the ending by telling you what happens but I can safely say it's not up to much either.

The look and feel of this movie is that of plastic and so was the acting of many of the young actors including that of leadsman Joseph Gordon-Levitt who's performance was skin-deep throughout the whole ordeal, never showing us anything other than confusion or acted frustration. Jeff Daniels was the only actor able to put some weight into his role as Chris's blind roommate Lewis, the only 'real' character in this movie.

At no point during this movie I was even slightly entertained and with it's formulaic plotpoints failing to give this film some momentum and absence of clever dialog, the viewer is rocked asleep like a baby.

The lionizing reviews here, with popular usage of the term character-study, are uncalled-for and the current 7.5 this movie scored here on IMDb surely will not last. At best this movie is mediocre and had it been made in the early 90's before we had films like Memento and the overdose of films dealing with bank robberies, it might have scored a small 6 in my book. It being 2007 and all, I will give it a 4 in stead.

The Lookout

[I_John_Barrymore_I · 16 April 2009]

This quiet, understated drama-thriller may take a while to get going, but the characters are fascinating and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels have a wonderful chemistry that lends the film an unexpected heart. As a brain-damaged student and a blind wannabe entrepreneur respectively, their relationship is very sweet and would probably work well in a buddy comedy.

There's a neat Fargo-like quality to a lot of the characters and dialogue and while it covers few locations it has that convincing small town feel.

Gordon-Levitt is a night janitor at a local bank who's targeted by a gang and finessed into acting as a lookout while they rob it. Things - as they must - go wrong and he has to summon all the faculties of his fractured mind to save himself.

Isla Fisher is quite revelatory in her small role. As Luvlee she's either rather dim-witted or incredibly cunning. Fisher's performance hints at the deeper recesses of her character but doesn't reveal what they hide. Luvlee is one of those rare characters where you find yourself genuinely hoping they won't turn out to be something other than what they appear. Ultimately there's something curiously redemptive about Gordon-Levitt's journey, where there really shouldn't be. It's a testament to the quality of his performance.

Overall a satisfying drama with sustained tension and some fine performances.

A thriller that goes that extra mile to make you care about what happens in it

[MBunge · 7/10 · 14 January 2011]

The Lookout is an intelligent, well made thriller that mixes just a smidgen of Memento into a classic bank heist flick. It's a little top heavy and I'm not sure the moral lesson at the end truly holds up under scrutiny, but it's exciting, not entirely predictable and has some very good actors shining through some underwritten roles.

Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) used to be on top of the world. He was a high school hockey star in Kansas with everything going for him, until a night of recklessness killed two of his friends and left Chris with brain damage. Now his coordination is shot, his self-control is erratic and it's hard for him to remember things like B comes after A and 4 comes after 3. Though his family is wealthy, Chris chooses to share an apartment with Lewis (Jeff Daniels), a blind man matched with him by social services, and work the only job he can now hold down, night janitor at a small town bank.

One night, Chris is in a bar, wanting to ask a woman out but no longer knowing how to do it, when a man strikes up a conversation with him. Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode) says he knew Chris' older sister in high school and remembers what a stud Chris used to be. Chris is drawn to Gary's acceptance and validation. He's drawn more strongly to the beautiful redhead (Isla Fisher) in Gary's company. The two of them seem to offer Chris something like his old life back. What they end up offering him is money to be the lookout while Gary and his gang rob the bank where Chris works. Frustrated with his life, Chris agrees but…well, let's just say that things don't work out quite like either Chris or Gary imagines.

I liked this film. It comes up with the really interesting starting point of man consumed by guilt over what he's done to others and anguish over what he's done to himself. It shows us the broken-brain prison he put himself in and then offers him a way out that the audience kind of wants him to take. The story of an ordinary man roped into a criminal conspiracy has been done so many times before. Making Chris Pratt abnormal and making the crime his way back to normality gives the tale a new emotional resonance. No matter how many times you've seen this story before, it'll feel different this time.

And while The Lookout isn't exactly a puzzle movie, it does a very nice job of establishing things early in the film that comes together at the end in a way you don't necessarily expect. It rewards you for paying attention without completely telegraphing its intentions.

The cast also uniformly does some very good work here, particularly Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels and Matthew Goode. Gordon-Levitt has a deceptively tough job here, playing a man who knows what he wants his brain and body to do but cannot get them to comply. It'd be easy to over- or underplay this part, but Gordon-Levitt walks right down the line as what is left of a once ordinary person. Jeff Daniels is extremely charismatic as Lewis yet avoids overpowering the more subtle performance his leading man pulls off. Matthew Goode plays Gary like the biblical snake tempting a man who doesn't live in anything like the Garden of Eden. Gary is someone who has genuine regard for Chris but whose malevolent nature exploits that regard to get what it wants. Isla Fisher is also noteworthy for playing a woman that could either be very dumb or very smart and never letting the audience decide which.

What makes the acting here every more impressive is how sketchily drawn are most of the roles. We know an awful lot about Chris Pratt. We assume a lot but know far less about Lewis. We learn virtually nothing about Gary and learn completely nothing about the other members of Gary's gang. The other people in this story are caricatures at best and servants of The Almighty Plot Hammer at worse. Isla Fisher is this film's version of the "hooker with a heart of gold". One of Gary's henchmen has the menacing appearance of Peter Fonda from Easy Rider after he's been dunked in a vat of ink, but appearance is all he is.

Another problem with The Lookout is that it spends an unusual amount of time on Chris' life and doesn't get to the heist until very late in the movie. For the first hour of the film, we get stuff about Chris and his father, Chris and Lewis, Chris and a girl from his past, Chris and the people at the bank, Chris at special ed classes and the challenges and torments of Chris' day-to-day existence. Then it gets to the heist and doesn't spend an equivalent amount of time on that or Chris' relationship with the other criminals. That part of the story goes by much quicker and has a more mechanical feel. Writer/director Scott Frank needed to expand the heist part of script, which might have slackened the pace and bloated the story, but there's certainly things that could have been cut. The whole subplot about Chris and the girl from his past is too opaque and as lovely and talented as Carla Gugino is, there's no reason for her to be in this motion picture. She shows up for one scene as Chris' social worker, helps frame his condition for the audience, then is never seen or heard from again.

Its flaws don't prevent The Lookout from being entertaining. This is a movie you should see.

An ultimately disappointing little film.

[wirvine1 · 6/10 · 30 March 2007]

I went into The Lookout tonight with very high expectations, first because of the generally good reviews and second because of the chance to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt in yet another interesting role.

Afterwards, however, I am stunned at the wealth of good reviews this film has received thus far. It might have been a good effort for a first time screenwriter, but a seasoned professional like Scott Frank? No. The plot was utterly predictable, the build-up too long, the pay off too small. Isla Fisher's character simply and literally drops off the face of the earth. I am convinced that one character is a bad John Lennon look-alike who is, in fact, artificial intelligence.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great, as great as he can be with this material, but it is the kind of thing even the best actors cannot save. The movie is not without it's moments, but I never truly believed in Chris' disability. Jeff Daniels is a blast to watch as well. Overall, an OK March movie, but I would wait for DVD in May.

There's a Lot to Be Said for Movies Like This

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 29 October 2007]

"The Lookout" is the kind of film there needs to be more of.

It's a pleasant, simple genre piece, unambitious, but solidly crafted with strong writing and good acting. That's a formula that is hard to find in current Hollywood movies, and it's woefully under-appreciated.

Gordon Joseph-Levitt has proved himself as a very good young actor, and on the strengths of this movie and last year's "Brick" has shown a flair for picking original projects. In this movie, he plays Chris Pratt, former king of his rural Kansas high school, now a janitor and night watchman in a dead end job at a bank after a car accident leaves his brain addled. A group of small-time hoods convince him to join their plan to rob the bank at which Chris works, preying on his need for friends and his feeling that control of his own life has been taken away. But things go badly, Chris finds out he's been used as little more than a dupe, and he gets a chance to take control when he ends up with all of the stolen money that the hoods desperately want back.

This movie belongs to that genre of films about the kinds of hopeless crime that occur out in the wide open spaces of Nowheresville, U.S.A. It's a movie whose impact relies on good plotting, pacing and suspense rather than graphic violence, and unlike so many of the films Hollywood has been producing lately, it doesn't leave you feeling awful and gloomy.

Jeff Daniels, who in recent years has become one of my favorite actors, does more fine work as Chris's blind friend Lewis, who, despite his handicap, sees more than anybody else in the movie.

Grade: A

Get ready for Joseph Gordon Levitt

[madiver2 · 9/10 · 17 August 2006]

What a contender for the awards on 2007? You should ask yourself - Joseph Gordon Levitt is ready!

What an amazing and yes a solid film. Scott Frank, you are on fire with a grand grace to bring this writing to film!

Also, this cast works and works in each and every scene. Each scene stands on it's own. And Scott 'gets' what he wants without a doubt. Matthew Goode just blew me away and you will not forget this complex character. Jeff Daniels, the pro, raises the standard that all of the cast must elevate themselves to!

Go see this film for you will not be disappointed...

Predictable, but entertaining

[seawalker · 6/10 · 7 November 2007]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt (unfortunate last name there, Mr. Frank!), who is a young, good looking guy and the star of his high school hockey team. His life is changed completely when he sustains head injuries in a car crash. Four years later Chris is trying to rebuild his life and work through his physical and mental problems (he has issues with 'chronological sequencing'). Chris works a night time cleaning job in a bank. Chris is noticed by a guy called Gary Spargo, who has plans...

To be honest I thought that "The Lookout" was fairly predictable and didn't really make the most of an enticing setup. But that aside, it is also a fairly entertaining and well put together modern crime thriller.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is really good as Chris Pratt. As much a cypher here as he was in a great film from a couple of years ago called "Brick". A really interesting performance. I had never heard of Matthew Goode, but he is ... Er... good as Gary Spargo. Sadly I didn't really believe Jeff Daniels as Chris Pratt's blind friend Lewis (too many mannerisms, too much the wise old sage, maybe Morgan Freeman was too expensive?) and I thought that the lovely Isla Fisher as the interestingly monickered Luvlee Lemons (she plays a stripper) was completely miscast. Too young (although she is 31 years old, so what do I know?) and too innocent looking.

A good enough film for an evening out, but again, nothing that has not been done before.

Stunning

[dano_scott · 10/10 · 1 December 2006]

This movie was, it was stunning. I was fortunate enough to view it before it hit theatres, and, all I can say is GO SEE IT. It does not deserve the R rating, in my opinion. The director/writer and producer (who I met) worked very long and hard to find the right cast. And this film was made for a fairly low amount. The acting is spectacular, the script itself is stunning. The acting is amazing, the special effects were brilliantly done without being overdone, and even though it is a drama/thriller, it has heart. There were parts where I wanted to cry, and there were parts where I was holding my breath. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is brilliant in his acting and is perfect for the role, no one could have done it better. I highly recommend this movie.

Pretty Good.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 20 May 2016]

Fine job by writer/director Scott Frank. The dialog is better, more realistic and clever, than might be expected in a movie about a bank robbery and Frank's direction enhances its value. The fine performances keep the production in the upper ranks. No stylistic razzle dazzle, no showing off, no slow motion, no high speed pursuits, no brains blown up against the ceiling, hardly any profanity, and only one stereotype in the bunch. Now THAT'S unusual.

I admire the way Frank, and the excellent cinematography, has captured the mood of wintry, small-town Kansas. Poor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, an after-hours janitor at the local bank, was brain damaged in a car accident. He may never have been too sophisticated to begin with and the spotty damage hasn't helped any. But make no mistake. He doesn't act oddly. He doesn't twitch, stutter, or turn in circles like Thelonius Monk. He's normal, he's articulate, and he knows what's going on around him. But he's not sophisticated and he has problems with sequencing and memory.

Thus it's easy for a gang of five hoodlums to rope him into acting as a lookout on the night of their planned bank robbery. Gordon-Levitt (who must shorten his name) is alienated from his family. They may invite him over for Thanksgiving dinner but they're uncomfortable when he's around because his hand shakes when he tries to use a fork and because he pipes up without adumbration with dramatic announcements. It's beautifully played by Gordon-Levitt -- a fundamentally decent young man who is next door to stupid and has a few holes in his brain.

But then everyone is quite good and the keen dialog gives them a chance to make the most of their talent. The young girl who seduces Gordon-Levitt is instrumental in sweeping him up into the contrivance might easily have been written an awful bitch, but she's not. She knows what her job is, but not ALL of the plan. She's aghast when she discovers a great big six shooter in the gang leader's baggage.

The leader is Mathew Goode and he holds up his end of the film. He's about the same age as the victim of the plot but far smoother, reassuring, understanding, a nice guy who explains why they intend to rob the banks -- it's not the poor farmers' money; it's the greedy corporate agribusinesses that are stealing from the hard working sons of the soil, etc. I expect that this justification is limited to movie bank robbers, and the real ones just want the moolah.

There is a final confrontation or two that gave the director multiple opportunities to show eyeballs being blown out and all the usual splatter effects. He doesn't do it, blessings be upon him. There is tension and there is blood but only enough to fit the occasion.

So, in conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, don't expect bathtubs full of gore and don't expect a showy performance of a retarded or crazy central figure. This is credible stuff.

I love this film!

[Jamaica27 · 10/10 · 2 December 2006]

The Lookout was screened unannounced for a group of students at UC Santa Barbara (where Scott Frank went to school) on 12/1/06, the first time it has been shown as a finished film. I think the reviewer who called the film predictable must have been watching another film (or it's been re-edited since he's seen it). The story was interesting and the acting was fantastic. Jeff Daniels was wonderful but Joseph Gordon-Levitt ... WOW! Isla Fisher and Mathew Goode were great too. But when I realized that this was Scott Frank's first directing gig was I blown away! The tension in the final third was authentic. This "little" film should win some big awards.

a little nugget of entertainment

[pfblevin · 7/10 · 14 November 2010]

This movie is quite a surprise. I read a brief synopsis of the movie and was expecting something different but actually was pleasantly surprised by the plot twists and turns, the depth of the characters and the overall tone of the film. I would recommend this movie to all who go to movies to be truly entertained but also that require a little thought instead of mindless dialog, overblown action scenes, and pointless sexual content. All in all the acting is excellent and I think Jeff Daniels is becoming one of our premiere character actors. I really enjoyed him with Clint Eastwood in "BlloodWork". I also think Joseph Gordon Levitt is highly underrated as an actor. Carla Gugino gives her usually knock out performance--I have a 'girl crush' on her. I think all the actors did a really great job with their roles.

Not as exciting as I was expecting,,,

[Terminator97C · 5/10 · 20 April 2007]

Take your typical film-noir plot, mix that with the idea from "Memento", and sprinkle on a little bit of "Fargo" for taste. Put it in the oven for a few minutes and you have "The Lookout."

This sounds like a great idea for a new movie, but this recipe has no flavor. The movie is just stale. It tries to combine all of these cool elements from other films, but just cannot get them mix together in the right amounts.

"The Lookout" tells the story of super famous high school hockey player Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who gets into a vicious car accident. This wreck leaves Pratt with a short term memory disability and a significant amount of guilt. Some of his friends were also involved in the crash.

Pratt now does not fit in anywhere in snowy Kansas City. His head injury makes him socially awkward, he is unable to remember easy things like names, and blurts out inappropriate comments.

Pratt's only friend is his roommate Lewis (Jeff Daniels), who is blind. The sad part is Lewis appears to have an easier time living than Pratt.

The only job Pratt is able to perform is a night janitor at a local bank. Pratt, by what seems like chance finally makes new friends. However, these friends are planning a bank robbery at the same bank Pratt works at, and they need someone to be the lookout.

But, like Pratt is told by his new friend, whoever has the money has the power.

The reason "The Lookout" is stale, is because it takes way to long to develop the story. Getting to the climax is just unexciting. It gets a little boring.

When we finally do get to the heist, the movie takes off in full force. The scenes are gripping with a raw intensity, but this is only during the last part of the movie. If only the rest of the movie was made with this much passion and dedication. The parts leading up to the heist just seems like dramatic filler.

"The Lookout" is directed by first timer Scott Frank. He does show many moments of promise. If he focuses on a strictly action film, I think he will be quite successful because the action in this film looks like it has come from an experienced filmmaker.

Gordon-Levitt does another fine job of playing the protagonist in a film-noir movie, the other film being "Brick." His face throughout the film harshly displays the anguish and frustration he constantly experiences with his mental disability.

Frank really tries hard to make this film work, but he needs to complete his storytelling first. He drops some characters and sub-plots before we really know what their purpose was in the first place. It seems that Frank attempted to bring elements from all of his favorite films into his own. Good idea, but it just becomes jumbled and unfinished.

Frank might have the money, but he doesn't yet have the power to create a great film.