Career bank robber Jack Foley (George Clooney), manages to break out of jail, with the assistance of his friend Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames). The pair also manage to kidnap a United States Marshal in the process, but after the Marshal manages to escape, she begins to plot the demise of the cons that kidnapped her, only to have second thoughts after finding one attractive and sharing a connection with him. An impressive picture that was released in 1998, and one that is highly rated among some movie lovers.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Elmore Leonard, Scott Frank
Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Out of Sight could be regarded as a film that is often overlooked in favour of other, more prominent releases from the same era. The vast array of positives far outweighs the negatives, with the film featuring an effective storyline, some wild action and even a hint of comedy throughout. Some have compared the picture to a Quentin Tarantino-style production, a notion that is easy to agree with, particularly when considering the intense script and unpredictability of certain scenes.

One aspect of the flick worth highlighting would be the way in which the filmmakers managed to showcase America at this time. The film had a very distinctive retro feel, which was aided majorly by the inspiring soundtrack, along with some beautiful cinematography to go with it. The filmmakers opted to use the colourful and vibrant setting of Miami for a large majority of the filming, with inner-city Detroit providing a stark contrast from time to time.

Another layer of the film that seemed to hold extreme significance was the strength of each of the characters on display. The two leads, George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, possessed more than enough chemistry and likeability between them to spearhead the majority of the picture, along with some incredibly engaging, well-written, sharp and, at times, witty dialogue.

In terms of cast and as touched upon, George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez starred as Jack Foley and Karen Sisco, respectively, but the support cast was equally as important. Don Cheadle adopted the role of Maurice Miller, with Ving Rhames playing Buddy Bragg, two key characters within the film. Elsewhere, Steve Zahn portrayed Glenn Michaels and there were even appearances from Viola Davis and Samuel L. Jackson – albeit very short in nature.

All in all, Out of Sight is a film that did not fair too well at the box office upon its original release in 1998, but now over twenty-five years later, it strikes me as an epic trip down memory lane and a film I’d strongly recommend.

“It’s like seeing someone for the first time, like you can be passing on the street, and you look at each other for a few seconds, and there’s this kind of a recognition like you both know something.”

Jack Foley – Out of Sight