Here’s a question you need to ask yourself if you are trying to decide if ‘The Lookout’ is a movie you want to see.  Are you sick and tired of these so-called thrillers which jump into action sequences, with characters you barely know or care about?  Are you tired of endless shootouts and car chases performed by impossibly heroic heroes and incredibly rotten bad guys?  Would you like a little more reality in your thriller?  Would you mind if the filmmakers took their time, allow you to get close to a character for a while, even if the guy is performing the most mundane tasks?  If you answered ‘yes’ to all of those questions then stop whatever you are doing, read no further and rush out to watch director Scott Frank’s carefully crafted debut feature, ‘The Lookout’.  Me, personally, can answer ‘yes’ to some, and ‘no’ to others which leaves me liking ‘The Lookout’, but wouldn’t have minded at all if they could have picked up the pace just a little bit.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is well on his way to becoming a huge movie star, is Chris Pratt, a young man of privilege who everything he touches comes up sevens and elevens.  Snake eyes tragically hits one night though while he, along with his girl, his best friend and his girl were cruising down an empty Kansas road one night.  Chris, while inexplicably driving with his lights off to show his buddies the dancing lightning bugs, didn’t see the combine in the road until it was too late.  Years later we’ve learned that the accident ended the life of two of the riders in the convertible, damaged his girlfriend to the point she won’t have anything to do with anymore and has left Chris with a closed head injury that has severely damaged his short term memory, forcing him to write down most of what he needs to do to get through the day, altering his life forever, and for the worst. 

Enter Gary Spago (Matthew Goode), who claims to have known Chris somewhat when he was in high school, though Gary was a few years ahead.  You see Chris has a job as a janitor in a little out of the way bank that Gary and his crew have been staking

out. Befriending Chris would give them the access they need to get the loot as well as provide them with a valued lookout.  This Gary is some kind of master psychologist because he knows exactly how to manipulate the damaged soul and plays Chris like a stringed marionette.  One of the things Gary does, and this usually works whether you brain damaged or not, is insure that the kid has some readily available sex in the form the terribly adorable Luvlee (Ilsa Fisher).  I must say that this is a favor that would make Gary my new best friend as well.  Gary also promises to give Chris his life back if he helps out.  Chris ain’t so stupid to think that this guy can fix his brain, but Gary lets him know that they will have money, and lots of it, if they pull off this job, and whoever has the money has the power.  Somebody cue Snap!.  (old rap group kids).  Chris is down for that, but changes his mind at the 11^th hour which generally doesn’t go over well with these criminal types and then everything goes straight to hell, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

‘The Lookout’ is unique in that it is part character study, a staple of indi films, and part action thriller.  Not a lot of action though.  I can honestly see where a lot of people would really like this movie.  Director Frank steps back from the formula, at least for the most part.  When some deputy announces early in the movie that his wife is pregnant, and he’s also goofily likable, we know his fate is sealed.  But that aside, the filmmakers never allow Chris to become more than what he is.  Even when he has to save the day, he doesn’t become a superman, and only gets by on force of luck and good fortune as opposed to him magically have his motor functions return so that he can rescue the world.  British actor Matthew Goode who, in the few films I’ve seen him in, is regularly typecast playing erudite, stuck up British dudes, shatters that mold and is quite the standout as the skuzzy, manipulative trailer park criminal mastermind in this film.  He still manages to come off as a somewhat regular guy, though an evil one mind you.  Even still, screenwriter Frank never allows Chris to ever outsmart him or outwit him as that just wouldn’t be realistic and would step out of the flow with the rest of the film.  Homeboy Jeff Daniels also makes a smart appearance as Chris’ blind roommate who sees more than anybody else around.  Wasted, unfortunately, is Carla Gugino, who has only one freaking scene as Chris’ case worker.  Yo, director.  If you’re going to put Carla Gugino in your movie, then I suggest you watch ‘Sin City’ and ask Robert Rodriguez how one should properly uses an actress of such glorious gifts and talents.

As you can see ‘The Lookout’ has a lot going for it, but damn it moved way too slow for me.  After a while it just became tedious watching Chris trying to open cans, locking his keys in his car again, driving down the tragic road again, and reminding himself to shave again.  He used to be the man, he used to be a hockey stud, he used to have a fully functioning brain, and he used to play chess.  I know more about Chris Pratt than I know about my own self.  Some folks may applaud this deeper delving into character, but personally, you could stuck a tit or a car chase in place of one the shaving scenes and I wouldn’t be mad at them.

But since it takes so long for ANYTHING to happen, when it finally does happen, assuming you’re still awake, it does have a far greater impact than one normally gets from films of this ilk, and that is worth something.  If you’re looking for a little more meat for your thriller dollar, then ‘The Lookout’ is probably the film you want to see.  Personally, a little less meat and little more fluffy action would have just made my day.