Movie Review: The Lookout

What I'm Listening To: Not So Blue by Quantic

Did you already know that we are Netflix subscribers? Yeah, it kinda makes sense, with all my gripes about seeing movies in actual theaters. So we signed up for Netflix back in 2003 and I can put in requests for movies before they get released on DVD and then we don't have to bother with the $9 ticket fees, or driving to the theater, or having to sit through something that sucks simply because we feel guilty about all the time and effort we've already spent on getting to the stupid place to begin with.

Anywhoo, I think we caught the tailend of this movie "The Lookout" one time on HBO --don't get me started on my other rant of "we have 2 kabillion DirecTV channels and there's NEVER anything on!!" -- so I requested it through Netflix and whaddaya know, here it is. I think we got it because of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was in "Third Rock From the Sun" as a kid, and was super cute. Oh, that and I've seen a couple other movies he's been in -- always slightly disturbing roles, always indie pictures -- and I guess I think of him as a better actor that many of his similarily-aged brethern out there.

Okay, this was a good SERIOUS dramatic movie, and here's some of my criteria on what makes a good serious dramatic movie -- not like The House Bunny, where the only criteria is I have to laugh out loud, really loud, at least 4 times.

ONE -- it made sense. There were no loose ends, it flowed and I could follow the plot along. Where the plot wasn't clear, it was later cleared up in a simple manner. Nothing weird, very straightforward. I wasn't like "huh, how'd that guy make it out of that exploding Volkswagen", more like "wow, that was a good wrap-up of the family's story line by using that old deer's head on the barstool, you know?" Not that that situation happened in this movie, you know, with a deer's head, but, uh, you get my drift.

TWO -- the acting was really good, even thought I was kinda like, why did they pick such good-looking people for KANSAS, for crying out loud! Well, it wasn't that they were bad actors -- I wasn't rolling my eyes with how wooden everyone looked or sounded. I mean, the Dumb and Dumber guy playing a blind man? Genius! Isla Fisher playing an exotic dancer, though? Not such genius -- because she's too damn good-looking, people!! I guess I thought that if you're going to try to convince us that a bunch of Kansas corn-dorks and stripper chicks are going to rob a bank, I think you'd have an easier time of it if they looked like cross-eyed meth heads....kinda like REAL Kansas people. I'm not judging -- hell, we've got more than enough of these examples in my own neighborhood alone -- you're welcome to come on down so I can point them out for you!

THREE -- I actually gave a shit about what was going to happen to cutie Chris Pratt, the main character. I wanted to see what he would do in this psychotic situation. That's pretty rare for me. I mean, I've seen more movies that I care to admit (shut up, Mike!) so feel like I know every plot twist, happy ending and freaky storyline out there. Just once I would like to see an UNHAPPY ending, right? But this movie was interesting and I kept watching, which may not sound like much, but is a monumental feat for me. Usually during movies I'm the one sawing logs on the couch -- ask Jim!

By now you're thinking, what was this movie about, anyway? Well, here's the link to Wikipedia so you can read about it for yourself. I won't bore you with my interpretation of it, seriously. But I give it a solid A-/B+. Not giving it an A just yet...maybe I need to watch it again.

Seen any good SERIOUS movies?

PS: We also started watching that "Reservation Road" movie about the hit-and-run accident, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, etc.? Maybe you've heard of it? Yeah, waaaaay too much crying and carrying on, and this is in the first 15 minutes, mind you. I mean, Joaquin Phoenix in a beard, well, I can look past that tiny problem. But Elle Fanning scream-sobbing and family freakouts? No, sorry, too much emotional chaos. I'll just watch "Legally Blonde" again, thank you very much. At least the only reason people cried in that one is when they broke a nail.