Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Out of Sight Blu-ray Movie Review

"You'd be surprised what you can get if you ask for it the right way."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 1, 2011

Elmore Leonard adaptations don't get much sexier than indie godfather Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight. Between Leonard's ear for criminally cool dialogue, Soderbergh's eye for style and substance, screenwriter Scott Frank's knack for breezy, rapidfire adaptations, George Clooney's uncanny command of his own leading-man charisma and Jennifer Lopez's grasp on Leonard's hard-as-nails, soft-as-silk U.S. Marshal bombshell, how could it be anything less? Actually, it could have been an unmitigated disaster. Behind the scenes, little love was lost between Clooney and Lopez, and reports of on-set hostilities were peppered with quite a few choice words. When two budding stars portraying star-crossed lovers cross wires, it almost always reads on screen: whatever spark there was fizzles, whatever chemistry there might have been flatlines. Not so with Out of Sight. Whether by Soderbergh's steady hand, Frank's smart and snappy script, the actors' raw talent or pure luck, Soderbergh delivered one of his finest, Clooney and Lopez set Leonard's crime caper (and the screen) ablaze, and Out of Sight proved to be, hands down, one of the best films of 1998.

"I think you flooded it."

Career criminal Jack Foley (George Clooney, The American) doesn't believe in guns. Easier to rob a bank with a clever story and a ballpoint pen than an assault rifle and a team of thugs. Even when a botched heist lands Foley in the slammer, he doesn't resort to violence; he relies on his wits and starts looking for an opportunity. And find one he does. It seems one of his fellow inmates, a wealthy businessman named Richard Ripley (Albert Brooks, Weeds), has an irresistibly valuable diamond stashed in his mansion. Foley tucks that little tidbit in the back of his brain and digs it up years later when his friend Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames, Piranha) helps him break out of prison. To his dismay though, Foley's escape doesn't exactly go as planned. Left with little choice but to abduct a feisty U.S. Marshal named Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez, The Back-Up Plan), he finds himself falling for a woman who could easily ship him back where he came from. She resists his charms at first but slowly relents as the line between the law and their love begins to blur. But can she simply sit by and do nothing while Foley pulls off one last heist?

Considering how much of Out of Sight hinges on convention -- Con Courts Cop, Dishonor Among Thieves, and One Last Heist, just to name a few -- it's a wonder the film stands out at all. But like any great genre pic, Soderbergh's crime caper succeeds because it embraces convention while subverting it, flipping all-too-familiar precepts on their backs and examining the sun-starved bellies beneath. Dialogue, whether of his own making or another's, has long been Soderbergh's strong suit. Here he takes advantage of Leonard's rhythms, his actors' instincts and Frank's words, forging a funky cadence that carries each character from scene to scene, often in spite of the film's non-linear structure. It's a battle he often wins through casting alone. Clooney's classy Cagney schtick is perfectly suited to Foley's outward charm and inward uncertainty. Lopez infuses strength, intelligence and vulnerability into an unassuming femme fatale who could have just as easily been a B-grade gimmick. Likewise, Rhames brings punchy presence to an otherwise thankless role, Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2) bears his teeth and spits barbed wire, Steve Zahn (Treme) lends levity to a film already loaded with sly laughs and Dennis Farina (RocknRolla), Catherine Keener (Where the Wild Things Are), Luis Guzmán (Boogie Nights) and Michael Keaton (appearing as Ray Nicolette, the Elmore Leonard ATF agent he played in Jackie Brown) swipe scenes from an already colorful cast of characters.

It's tough to pinpoint where Out of Sight goes from safe-cracking romance to cat-and-mouse classic. Only when all is said and done does Soderbergh's hard-boiled hard work, Anne Coates's smoky editing, Frank's precision plotting, Foley and Sisco's playful love-hate affair, David Holmes's groovy score and Leonard's story and characters reveal themselves to be sharply conceived parts of an exceptionally well-refined whole. It's no wonder that soon after the film's release Clooney would earn the mantle of A-list leading man, Lopez would be taken seriously as an actress, Soderbergh would finally escape his post-Sex Lies slump and Out of Sight would rack up two Oscar nominations and a respectable pile of prestigious awards. (The only thing that prevented it from receiving more Academy recognition was one of the most competitive Best Picture lineups in recent memory; a lineup comprised of Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love and The Thin Red Line.) More than anything though, Out of Sight confirmed Soderbergh wasn't a one trick pony and that his stars deserved a better seat at Hollywood's table. If you haven't had the pleasure, there's no time like the present. Clever and cunning as it may be, Out of Sight isn't getting any younger.

Out of Sight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Soderbergh's award-winning pulp noir oozes style, slick grit and hepcat sophistication; a tricky cinematic long-con Universal's 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer handles like a pro. Elliot Davis's palette is as shifty as Foley -- vibrant summer hues, penetrating primaries, sultry reds, savory oranges and rich black levels continually give way to joyless jail-house yellows, icy inner-city blues and blown-out contrast -- but it works its magic regardless. While skintones are decidedly oversaturated at times, it's all within the bounds of Soderbergh's intentions. And detail? Detail is excellent on the whole, boasting well-resolved fine textures, crisp edge definition and shrewd but satisfying shadow delineation. The softness that inevitably appears is solely that of the filmic variety, minor ringing and negligible crush are the only issues of note, and most every other inconsistency that arises is linked to Davis's photography, not the studio's encoding efforts. Is the presentation perfect? Not exactly, but it excels nonetheless. Enjoy.

Out of Sight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like any good Elmore Leonard adaptation, Out of Sight is crackling with dialogue, a fact the film's sound design and Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track embrace willingly. Voices are bright, intelligible and nicely grounded in the mix, even when brief bursts of gunplay pierce the soundscape. Effects are clean and natural, resting neatly within the soundfield rather than floating above it, and the rear speakers, though relatively reserved, create a convincing sense of space and location. Ambience teases the listener with coy charm, acoustics are immersive and directionality is accurate. The LFE channel is largely relegated to the film's music, but I doubt anyone will complain. Weightier elements are given full support, bass beats pack a suitably potent pulse and the whole of the experience is blessed with power and presence. Fans of the film will be more than happy with the results.

Out of Sight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray edition of Out of Sight doesn't bust out any fancy supplemental footwork, but the special features it does include are excellent additions to an already excellent release.

• Audio Commentary: When it comes to Steven Soderbergh commentaries, I'm all ears and high praise. Here Soderbergh sits down with screenwriter Scott Frank to discuss every angle they played and every con they pursued. And while they casually steer clear of discussing their stars' rumored animosity, they don't miss another beat. Soderbergh manages to make even the driest technical anecdotes captivating tales of cinematic MacGyvering, and the track proves its worth again and again. Don't miss this one.
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 22 minutes): A dozen or so deleted and extended scenes; some lengthy hits, some wisely trimmed misses. Sadly, there isn't an optional commentary track with Soderbergh and Frank.
• Inside Out of Sight (SD, 25 minutes): Soderbergh, Frank, Clooney, Lopez, Rhames, novelist Elmore Leonard and other key members of the cast and crew line up to talk about the film in this worthwhile behind-the-scenes doc.
• BD-Live Functionality and News Ticker
• My Scenes Bookmarking

Out of Sight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I can't recommend Out of Sight enough. It offers everything a modern crime caper should, features electric performances from its smartly assembled cast and remains one of Soderbergh's best films. Universal's Blu-ray release exudes cool as well. Its video transfer is striking, its DTS-HD Master Audio track is excellent and its supplemental package is well worth any fan's time. Give it a rent if Soderbergh, Clooney or Leonard don't usually do it for you. Otherwise, throw down a few bucks and pick up this late-90s classic post haste.