DVD GLANCE: THE LOOKOUT

I enjoyed Scott Frank's directorial debut THE LOOKOUT but was left a little underwhelmed. Maybe it was the heaping amounts of praise it received upon its theatrical release last March. I read more than one review that labeled it as a "small masterpiece" and I just didn't see get that feeling. Joseph-Gordon Levitt, who was great in BRICK, is again very solid in THE LOOKOUT, and while everything adds up and makes enough sense in the end, I couldn't help but feel that overall, while entertaining and smart and stylish, it was pretty predictable and not all that exciting. The story of a bank heist and the emotionally/psychologically troubled night janitor caught in the middle of the action, THE LOOKOUT is a nice addition to the genre while never going above and beyond the normal call of duty. The ensemble cast is good in all areas, and the ending has a tough, brutal shootout that I sort of didn't expect. But the movie never raised the stakes enough and while engrossing, I never cared enough about the outcome or the characters to the extent that I would have liked. But it's a good neo-noir thriller with some great individual scenes and a nice, mean tone. Certainly rent it, just keep expectations in check.