Scott Frank’s pretty much the textbook definition of a good Hollywood screenwriter. He’s got real chops on the page... reading what he writes is a pleasure. But beyond that, he writes movies. Not just screenplays, but films. You see them as you read his scripts. It’s no wonder directors have always snapped at the chance to work on his material. He lays it all out for them, and when the directors have collaborated with him, the results have been distinctive and original. OUT OF SIGHT. HEAVEN’S PRISONERS. MINORITY REPORT. GET SHORTY. MALICE. DEAD AGAIN. LITTLE MAN TATE. All of those films play with their genre in a very knowing way, and I’m not sure Frank gets enough credit for his influence on the films.
With THE LOOKOUT, he’s finally the guy in charge. He wrote and directed the movie, and the result is a simple, unadorned pleasure, a thriller that actually thrills. This isn’t a post-modern riff on the noir genre or a stylistic throwback that knowingly twists the conventions of noir or anything of the sort. It’s not meta-text at all. There’s no smirk. No wink. It is not pastiche or homage or whatever. It’s just a good story. Well told. And characters that live and freakin’ breathe.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s been working on one hell of a resume lately, and I admit it. I’m impressed. I don’t think anyone can argue anymore. He’s the best in his weight class, and he’s so good that he’s started to remind me of someone, a name I rarely invoke: River Phoenix. I think he’s that good, and I think as long as he works with strong creative partners, he’s going to be a heavy hitter in the next few years. Even in a film as godawful as SHADOWBOXER, he acquits himself with a performance that simply outclasses the material. If you’ve seen the trailer for this movie, you might be tempted to compare the film to MEMENTO. Don’t. This isn’t a game on the viewer that builds to some sort of surprise twist. Instead, it’s a character-driven thriller, and it builds to a very fitting finale, never trying to outsmart you in the process. Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt, a small-town golden kid who fucked up one night in high school when driving three of his friends. There was a horrible car accident, and when Chris finally woke up, he was different. Damaged. Permanently changed.
At first, that’s all the film is about. Chris has a frustrating daily life, and he does his best to keep his cool. When it does become too much to take, he can count on Lewis (Jeff Daniels), his roommate, to talk him down every time. Lewis is blind, a sardonic, obnoxious presence who fills every room he walks into, and he’s a good influence on Chris. Chris has a job as a janitor at night at a small-town bank. He goes to classes at a life-studies program to help him deal with the after-effects of his injury. Sometimes he loses control of himself. Sometimes he cries. He remembers everything leading up to the accident, and everything after the accident, but he doesn’t remember the accident. He drives past the site of it every couple of weeks. He thinks about it every day. He carries the scars of it.
When he finally runs into Gary (Matthew Goode), it doesn’t feel like plot mechanics kicking in. Gary’s a monster. There’s no other way to put it. He’s a well-realized monster, a character with interesting edges and quirks, but he’s also genuinely menacing. I didn’t recognize Goode when I was watching the film, and I’m still having trouble connecting him in this movie to the excellent work he did Woody Allen’s MATCH POINT. The guy’s a chameleon, and his work here should open even more doors for him. Isla Fisher plays the honey trap, and the only issue I have with the script is the lack of resolution regarding who she really is or where her sympathies really lie. She’s great in every single moment she’s onscreen, and her work with Gordon-Levitt is sweet and sad. Greg Dunham, who I’ve never seen in anything ever, is a strong menacing presence as Gary’s main henchman Bone.
Alar Kivilo’s been building a solid track record over the last few films, shooting some lovely commercial films. No matter what you thought of them as scripts or finished films, THE LAKE HOUSE and THE ICE HARVEST are both visually accomplished films, as are movies like FREQUENCY and A SIMPLE PLAN. Kivilo does a nice job here of setting a tone and gradually turning the screws on Gordon-Levitt. He’s talked into helping with something that he regrets, and when he tries to dig himself out of it, things go from bad to miserably shitty real quick. Like I said... no one’s trying to set you up for a twist here. The pleasure is simply watching Chris try to dig himself out of this moral quicksand before he drowns.
In this way, this isn’t an imitation of noir or an exercise; this is the real deal. And so is Scott Frank. Here’s hoping this marks the beginning of him making his own work, because this first time out is a heck of a debut.
The film opens the SXSW Festival next month, and then opens in limited release on March 23.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
