Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Keep an Eye Out Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 23, 2021

Writer/director Quentin Dupieux was recently seen on American screens with “Deerskin,” his ode to strange masculinity, insanity, and filmmaking. It was another creative success for the helmer, who enjoys the playfulness of absurdity, asking viewers to hang tight as he creates unusual dark comedies with deliberate pacing and plenty of surprises. Produced before “Deerskin,” “Keep an Eye Out” is a Dupieux offering finally making its way to the U.S., giving fans a chance to catch up with the creator’s oeuvre as he pursues a consistent moviemaking rhythm (his latest, “Mandibles,” was released in the U.S. last summer). “Keep an Eye Out” is perhaps his most contained endeavor, largely taking place inside a police station, but it retains all the delightful mischief Dupieux is known for. He masterminds an especially long night of interrogation for a cop and a suspect, working with a limited space and budget superbly, conjuring a fascinating game of panic that triggers big laughs and a few gasps along the way.

For Fugain (Gregoire Ludig), the night was supposed to be simple. However, while dealing his sleepy wife, roaches in his apartment, and a missing wallet, Fugain also happens by a dead body on the property, hesitating to call emergency services right away. Such an offense has brought him to the police station, with Inspector Buron (Benoit Poelvoorde) eager to crack Fugain open, working to extract a confession from the confused man, who doesn’t understand what he’s done wrong. It’s an active night in the building, with Buron dealing with family issues and his own distractions, electing to put Philippe (Marc Fraize) in charge of Fugain as he steps away for some personal time. Philippe was born with one eye and has only been a cop for six months, eager to prove himself with this responsibility, but an accident in the room suddenly makes things worse for Fugain, who’s desperate to clear his name and return home.

To set the mood, Dupieux opens “Keep an Eye Out” with the visual of a man in small underwear conducting an orchestra in the middle of an open field. It’s a peaceful scene interrupted by the cops, who pursue the conductor, eventually catching the guy, bringing him back to the station, where the story of Fugain’s long evening begins. A seemingly mild-mannered man, Fugain is stuck in a difficult situation, left with Buron in a nearly empty office to go over the particulars of his evening, with the cop not paying close attention to the details, distracted by everything else in his life. Fugain is hungry, offered a half-eaten candy bar to tide him over as he rewinds time, explaining how a simple task to kill a bug in his apartment led to his discovery of a bloody man he swears he didn’t kill.

Dupieux keeps the interplay uneasy, with Buron trying to trip up Fugain by making him repeat the series of events as hunger pains grow. In the room wearing headphones is Philippe, an earnest cop happy to watch Fugain as Buron deals with outside interactions, leaving the men to engage in small talk, with the suspect hoping to charm his new babysitter. Instead, something awful happens, leaving Fugain to clean up an unexpected mess, creating a lively sense of panic for “Keep an Eye Out.” The writing deals humorously with macabre events, inspiring some hilarious shocks and reveals as Fugain’s night goes from bad to worse, with Buron soon returning to take over for Philippe and finish his investigation, convinced the suspect is up to no good.

Keep an Eye Out Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Keep an Eye Out" primarily deals with action going on inside the police station, which offers yellowish lighting, while domestic situations provide a reddish glow. Rare events outside highlight bright beach hues and darker evening activities, and costuming maintains cooler hues and crisper whites. Skintones are natural. Detail examines interior decoration, along with the sharp makeup work on the missing eye. Skin surfaces are textured. Delineation is acceptable.

Keep an Eye Out Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix primarily deals with dialogue exchanges, tracking conversations and questioning among the characters. Voices are sharp and comedic timing is preserved. Music is used sparingly in "Keep an Eye Out," but the feature does open with an orchestral performance, offering warm, deep strings to set the mood. Music generally goes circular, and atmospherics are often subtle but present, with elements of office and apartment building movement.

Keep an Eye Out Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (18 pages) includes interviews with writer/director Quentin Dupieux, and actors Gregoire Ludig and Benoit Poelvoore.

• Commentary features writer/director Quentin Dupieux.

• Makeup FX Test (:23, HD) is a short, close-up examination of eye-removal work on actor Marc Fraize's face.

• Rehearsal Footage (12:03, HD) is an interesting look at actors Gregoire Ludig, Benoit Poelvoore, and Marc Fraize as they run through script pages, trying out different ideas for writer/director Quentin Dupieux, who remains behind the camera, audibly enjoying this test of his screenplay.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:10, HD) is included.

Keep an Eye Out Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a lot of spoiler material in "Keep an Eye Out," but Dupieux explores the crunchiness of an oyster dinner, the time-shifting influence of a busted can of bug spray, and various weirdness, including Buron, who lives comfortably with a hole in his chest. The production keeps away from surreal touches, but Dupieux remains committed to oddity, keeping the short endeavor (65 minutes before end credits) on the move as Fugain's perception of what's happening to him keeps blurring, leading to a cheeky but appropriate conclusion, sharply performed by the cast. It's not an advanced mind game from Dupieux, but "Keep an Eye Out" is hilarious at times, really kicking into high gear after the opening 20 minutes, delivering the dry wit and screwball storytelling the helmer is extremely skilled at delivering.