The Lookout (2007)

Director: Scott Frank

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode

Chris is a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.

Billed as a “tense thriller” I beg to differ. If you’re into character study movies, then this is perfect.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Chris Pratt (yes, Chris Pratt!!), who still suffers from a brain injury four years after a car accident (due to his own doing) in which two of his friends died. Unable to remember things, he needs to make notes. Thanks to social worker Janet (Carla Gugino) he got a job at a bank as a cleaner. He is hoping to work his way up the ranks.

His best friend and moral support, is Lewis (Jeff Daniels), who is blind. One night at a bar, Chris meets Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode), who claims to have gone out with Chris’ sister Alison. He becomes friends with Gary only to learn Gary plans to rob the bank Chris works at, and needs him to let them into the bank.

With the film mainly revolving around Chris, his back story, and family drama, I found it a bit boring and too much of a talky. The plan for robbing the bank only surfaces after about 40 minutes, and it then takes another 25 minutes or so before anything significant happens. The action/suspense only arrives during the final 20 minutes. So, if it’s an action thriller you’re looking for, ‘The Lookout’ will disappoint. If it’s character study and drama you’re looking for, then ‘The Lookout’ will suffice. I also found the title a bit misleading, considering Chris is only the lookout during the final few minutes. The film is well acted, but far too slow for my liking. The final 20 minutes were by far the best moments, but not enough to save the film for me.

Although critics loved the movie, it flopped at the box office; only earning $5.4 million on a $16 million budget.

Would I watch it again? No.