Details
Movie Description
Based on Elmore Leonard's famous crime novel, OUT OF SIGHT finds director Steven Soderbergh back in Hollywood after a brief return to the independent world with SCHIZOPOLIS and GRAY'S ANATOMY. A funny, hip, and vibrant action-drama, OUT OF SIGHT tells the story of the unlikely relationship that forms between an FBI agent and a career criminal. After Jack Foley (George Clooney) escapes from jail with the help of his partner, Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames), he takes Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), a sexy federal agent, hostage. Immediately sparks fly between the two. Eventually they let her go and leave Miami behind, heading directly for Detroit, where they plan to rob a former cellmate of theirs, a wealthy, white-collar criminal (Albert Brooks). When Karen finally locates Foley, a passionate encounter unfurls (edited ingeniously by Anne V. Coates, recalling Nicolas Roeg's classic DON'T LOOK NOW). As Foley zeroes in on his target, Karen must decide which side she's on. Soderbergh's film is a raucous ride through the criminal underworld, featuring spot-on performances by Clooney and Lopez. It's the supporting cast that makes OUT OF SIGHT so unforgettable, however; Rhames, Steve Zahn, Luis Guzman, and especially Don Cheadle deliver hysterical turns that keep the laughs coming as the tension continues to mount.
Synopsis
This adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel concerns a federal agent (Jennifer Lopez) who is kidnapped by two escaped convicts (George Clooney and Ving Rhames). She must reconcile her fondness for her suave captors with her sworn duty to uphold the law. Charming, unpredictable, sophisticated, multifaceted performances from the entire cast distance this film from other "girl gets kidnapped and falls in love" stories. Once again, director Steven Soderbergh proves his overflowing talent behind the camera.
Film Notes
Theatrical release: June 26, 1998.
Shot on location in Florida, Michigan, Louisiana, and California.
Michael Keaton makes an uncredited appearance as Ray Nicolette, the same character he portrays in Quentin Tarantino's JACKIE BROWN, another Elmore Leonard adaptation.
Samuel L. Jackson also makes an uncredited appearance at the film's end.
Dennis Farina actually was a Chicago cop for 20 years before becoming an actor.
George Clooney's mug shot from the film is, in fact, the mug shot used in Robert Rodriguez's FROM DUSK TILL DAWN.
Estimated budget: more than $40 million.
The film grossed more than $37 million at the box office.
Steven Soderbergh nearly didn't direct the film. He told the New York Daily News in late 2000, "I read the script and called [Universal production chief] Casey Silver and said, 'It's a really great script, it's going to be a terrific movie, and I'm not going to do it.' He said, 'Don't be an idiot.'"
Industry Reviews
"...Soderbergh's direction is playful, punchy and smartly attuned to a first-rate group of actors..."
Rolling Stone - p.145-6 - Peter Travers (07/09/1998)
"...A dazzling display of hip cinematic style..."
Sight and Sound - p.55-6 - John Wrathall (12/01/1998)
"...[The film] stays hip and never breaks a sweat..." -- 3 out of 4 stars
USA Today - p.8E - Andy Seiler (07/17/1998)
"...Directed with terrific panache by Stephen Soderbergh....Ms. Lopez has her best movie role thus far, and she brings it both seductiveness and grit..."
New York Times - p.E14 - Janet Maslin (06/26/1998)
"...OUT OF SIGHT is a good-looking, inventively filmed movie. It also teems with terrific performances....OUT OF SIGHT is quite all right..."
Box Office - Cathy Thompson-Georges (08/01/1998)
"...OUT OF SIGHT has a beautifully sustained emotional core, thanks to inspired work from the two leads..."
Premiere - Glenn Kenny (07/01/1998)
"...A smart, sultry thriller with a cool line in comedy..."
Total Film - Simon Button (10/01/1999)
"[A] now-classic romantic comedy -- with plenty of action and suspense..."
Wall Street Journal (05/22/2009)
Quotations
"Here, ma'am. Let me help you with these. Beautiful young lady like you shouldn't be carrying groceries. Let a man do that for you."--Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames)
"Now, I didn't ask you for help, so don't expect a tip."--Woman in parking lot
"Oh, that's okay, ma'am. I'll just take your car."--Buddy Bragg
"Oh, man...if I wasn't stoned, there is no way you would have talked me into this!"--Glenn Michaels (Steve Zahn)
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