Out of Sight (1998) starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Dennis Farina directed by Steven Soderbergh Movie Review

Out of Sight (1998)   3/53/53/53/53/5


George Clooney in Out of Sight (1998)

Smooth Criminal

Jack Foley (George Clooney) is a smooth criminal, an expert bank robber who doesn't use guns, just his charm and his observations to convince bank tellers to hand over envelopes of cash. The trouble is that other things get in the way and when his car won't start he finds himself banged up for bank robbery. But even inside Jack is a smooth operator and after piggy backing on another jail break he finds himself taking Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), a US Marshal hostage, in the process. Whilst circumstances sees them going their separate ways Jack can't get the sexy Karen out of his head and Karen can't stop thinking about Jack and what it would be like to get with him.

George Clooney doing what for a while he did better than anyone, charming the pants off of women with that smile, that glint, that air of self belief but with just a big enough crack so that his arrogance isn't over powering. It is one of the attractions of "Out of Sight" which almost feels like a forerunner to "Ocean's Eleven" which would see Clooney along with others from this movie teaming up with Soderbergh for the popular remake. But as I said Clooney as Foley oozes charm and I hate to say it is intoxicating when you see him walk calmly in to a bar and convince a teller to hand over money because he is so cool and in control.

Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight (1998)

But then there is Jennifer Lopez doing what she did better than anyone, giving that look, that movement of the eyes which screamed I am sexy and I know it and if I wanted to I could have you but you know what you're not my type. That gentle tone followed by some bull breaking action which makes every single scene she is in and as intoxicating as any which features Clooney. Yet Lopez plays her in such a way that she isn't so hot that you would feel embarrassed about your parents meeting her.

So what happens when they share a scene, sparks fly and it becomes so steamy that it leaves you needing a shower. And yet I am not talking about sex, I am talking about the tone of voice when they are together, the look in their eyes and that sense that if something happened it would be ridiculously hot that the fire service would need to be called.

Oh and yes "Out of Sight" has other things going on, we have this robbery storyline which jumps about a bit going from the past to the present. Plus we have amusing characters such as Steve Zahn as the stoned Glenn or Ving Rhames as Buddy, Jack's loyal friend. There is also lots of smart dialogue and some comedy as well but the simple fact is that Clooney and Lopez are hot, they play hot characters and the chemistry they have is something you rarely see on screen these days and it makes so many other movies feel weak because of the intensity that Clooney and Lopez have.

What this all boils down to is that "Out of Sight" is an alright movie, a forerunner to "Ocean's Eleven" with some rough edges when it comes to the story and the perceived smartness of it all. But then it has George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez who have such great chemistry that you end up distracted from the actual movie.


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