The Lookout

With recent roles in flawless indies such as Brick and Mysterious Skin, former “3rd Rock from the Sun” kid star Joseph Gordon-Levitt has redefined himself as one of the most captivating and compelling performers of his generation. While he’s been winning over critics for years, it’s likely that The Lookout, a sleepy sad-eyed thriller that’s something like Elmore Leonard reinterpreting Memento, will be the first film in which many viewers discover Gordon-Levitt in his new incarnation. The film is in a solid number of theaters (nearly a thousand this opening weekend) and has enough violence and crime conventions to lure in the masses. Be forewarned, though, that this is not a fast-paced, instant gratification shoot ‘em up thriller but rather a moody, pensive feature centered on a crime narrative but dedicated primarily to the characters at its core.

The most important of those characters is Chris Pratt, (Gordon-Levitt) a once great prom king, high school athlete whose life was devastated by a car crash that caused 2 deaths and substantial injuries of his own, including a severe impairment of his memory skills and other basic mental functions. Though he was once “most likely to succeed,” he now works a menial janitor job at a local bank while trying to strengthen his mind enough to take on a more demanding occupation. It’s in this sad state that a wannabe thug named Gary (Matthew Goode) lures Chris into a bank heist scheme with promises that this will restore his power and give him back the life he once had.

There’s a general stiltedness to some of the story and a mild case of overshooting (both in its ambitions and in the somewhat incredible way it renders its skulking leading man a gun toting action hero within milliseconds), but mostly this is top-notch material with a remarkably strong cast. Gordon-Levitt plays the wounded, pitiful nice guy Pratt to perfection and supporting players like the obnoxious but alluring Goode and the perpetually underrated Jeff Daniels (in a small role as Chris’s blind but wily roommate, Lewis) make this an ensemble to remember. You want at times for the film to bust loose of its methodical pace and intensely perfected dialogue, but its adherence is also a great sign of writer/director Scott Frank’s mastery. He really designs this film from top to bottom without ever allowing it to feel muddled or messy in any way. He neglects some seemingly significant subplots while tying up loose ends, but delivers a solid, almost too perfect conclusion nonetheless. I wish there had been something really bizarre and twisty at the heart of the film’s heist climax. As it is, it’s mostly by the book and though it’s definitely exciting, it still leaves something to be desired. It’s almost a little too borrowed, a little too efficient to really grab your attention. Regardless, this is a strongly plotted thriller with involving characters and a new age troubled hero in the vein of some of film’s most prickly protagonists.

Grade: A-