Apr 26, 2014

Out of Sight

Saw Out of Sight, a not-bad-not-good heist film. A bank robber with a heart of gold (evidence: he never kills anyone and is George Clooney) is planning to rob a white-collar criminal who was in the pen with him and unwisely bragged about having a bunch of uncut diamonds. Throughout, he's being tailed by a tough lady-cop. The lady-cop is an almost hilariously cliched character. She makes dark reference to having to face sexist discrimination, showing how tough she is, but this toughness is only used to make her into more of a ferocious amazonian sex queen. Also there's implied daddy issues which are referenced exactly once, like the film is ticking off a box in some checklist. And does Clooney sleep her? Of course he sleeps with her. (Characteristically, she disrobes to reveal lacy panties while he shuffles off his pants to reveal white boxers. But it's not sexist. She's a tough cop.)

Anyway, there's also another gang of black dudes who are after the diamonds and Cloon has a black side-kick to help him out (the film flirts with racism the same way it flirts with sexism.) The film also tries to imply that Cloon is just too free, man, for your button-down office jobs and that something wild and untamed inside him compels him to rob banks. He's just so much better than us, and so dashing too!

I'm being mean, but the film is really not very good. That said, it's not terrible either, just kind of stupid. It's always competently entertaining and the protagonist is noble and respectable enough that we are never prevented from identifying with him. It makes no risky or even interesting moves. The romance angle is a bit limp, but it's there for those who want it. Actually, that's a good description of the whole film: "There for those who want it." It sums up my apathy and lack of reaction to this film. I can't even muster up the enthusiasm to hate it.

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