Out of Sight: Collector's Edition (Widescreen)

Out of Sight is really a film about possibilities and the road not taken. What could have been. Jack Foley (George Clooney) is an ace bank robber who has one of the best introductions ever put on film as he quietly and politely robs a bank with nothing more than a smile and soothing voice. Clooney, with his movie star good looks and suave charm is perfectly cast as the smooth talking criminal. This may be his finest performance to date. His character meets Federal Marshall Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) while breaking out of prison and the two hit it off immediately -- which is all the more impressive when one considers that their first meeting was spent in the cramped confines of a car trunk.

After lanquishing in obscurity for many years, Steven Soderbergh put himself back on the map with this smart, sexy and wonderfully stylish crime thriller that was ignored by audiences (due to lousy advertising and an even worse release date) but much beloved by critics. Fortunately, it has been re-discovered on video.

This movie just chugs along with such effortless ease and self-confidence that it is hard not to like. Besides Clooney and Lopez (turning in career-high performances), you've got a killer cast that features the likes of Steve Zahn (such an underrated character actor whose perfect here as a stoner criminal wannabe), Dennis Farina (Lopez's laid back dad who just wants to see her married to some rich guy or a cop), Albert Brooks (a bumbling white collar criminal type who is in way over his head), Don Cheadle (a tough guy-wannabe who is a classic schoolyard bully), and Ving Rhames (Clooney's tough, god-fearing partner in crime). It doesn't hurt that they have a super-smart script by Scott Frank to work with -- he perfectly understands Leonard's distinctive cadence.

And then there is Soderbergh's direction. His use of freeze frames as punctuation evokes the masters of the French New Wave and his use of colour always lets you know where the characters are in the story: warm colours for Florida, cold, metallic colours for Detroit.

Out of Sight also features a killer soundtrack masterminded by DJ extraordinaire, David Holmes. He mixes in his own brand of funky electronica with old school tunes from the likes of the Isley brothers and Willie Bobo that is infectious and perfectly suits the hip vibe of this film.

This Collector's Edition DVD is a must-have for fans of this movie if only for the relaxed audio commentary by Soderbergh and Frank who joke and talk at length about all sorts of aspects of the movie. This is a very informative and entertaining track.

Also included are some decent deleted scenes (including the car trunk scene between Clooney and Lopez in its entirety) and an excellent Making Of documentary.

Out of Sight is the ideal movie for people who like smart thrillers. It is well-acted, written and directed. It is also Soderbergh's best film after Traffic.

Out of Sight employs a stellar cast headed by George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. Clooney plays Jack Foley the down on hios luck criminal who yearns for one more score. Lopez is the federal marshall who is both out to arrest him and is strangely attracted to him. There is a definite chemistry between the leads that makes the movie fun to watch and the cat and mouse is played to perfection.

Perhaps the greatest part of the film is its screenplay written by Scott Frank. Frank nails the Elmore Leonard dialogue and provides one of the better stories of the year.

This DVD offers a documentary on the making of the film featuring most of the principals, a commentary by Soderbergh and Frank and a good assortment of deleted scenes. Although this was not a major box success it is a solid feature that is worth a viewing or two.

-like an original movie (taken from an Elmore Leonard novel),

-aren't bothered to follow a storyline slightly more complicated than a roadrunner chase,

-enjoyed Ocean's Eleven, its story and cool music,

-aren't paralyzed by ridiculous stereotypes (like "tv actors are bad" or "latin singers can't act"),

-like a romantic comedy that isn't sappy, but intriguing, funny, and has an unusual ending,

this might be the movie for you.