The Lookout (2007)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Scott Frank

Writer (WGA):

Scott Frank (written by)

Release Date:

30 March 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Whoever has the money has the power

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Athlete | Robbery | Janitor | High School Athlete

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Chris Pratt
Jeff Daniels	...	Lewis
Matthew Goode	...	Gary Spargo
Isla Fisher	...	Luvlee
Carla Gugino	...	Janet
Bruce McGill	...	Robert Pratt
Alberta Watson	...	Barbara Pratt
Alex Borstein	...	Mrs. Lange
Sergio Di Zio	...	Deputy Ted
David Huband	...	Mr. Tuttle
Laura Vandervoort	...	Kelly
Greg Dunham	...	Bone
Morgan Kelly	...	Marty
Aaron Berg	...	Cork
Tinsel Korey	...	Maura

Also Known As:

A kulcsfigura (Hungary) [hu]
Die Regeln der Gewalt (Germany) [de]
El vigía (Argentina) (DVD title) [es]
Kratko sjecanje (Croatia) [hr]
Le guetteur (Canada: French title) [fr]
O tsiliadoros (Greece) [el]
Sguardo nel vuoto (Italy) [it]
The Lookout (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:12 | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 | Finland:K-13 (video rating) (2007)

Filming Locations:

Hartney, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

To be more convincing as a blind man, Jeff Daniels spent time at the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center in Kalamazoo, observing and learning some basic skills used by blind people on a daily basis.

Goofs:

Continuity: If you look at the Jetta that Chris drives, you will notice that the amount of damage to the bug-deflector on the front of his car changes almost every time we see the vehicle. It starts off with the left side of the bug deflector missing, then both sides are missing and finally it goes back to just the left side missing.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Chris Pratt: It only happens once a year, and then they die. It's like a mating ritual or something.
Kelly: Isn't that romantic?

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

That's Too Bad (Byron Jam)

Whoever Has the Money Has the Power

In 2003, in Kansas, the popular and reckless high school hockey player Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) goes to a party with his girlfriend and two friends on the backseat of his convertible through the old Route 24. In a moment, he turns the headlights off to admire the bright sky and has a tragic car crash. Four years later, his head injury still affects his memories and he uses a notebook to help him to recall his activities. He is no longer admired and works as night janitor in the Noel State Bank & Trust due to his mental incapacitation. He lives with his only friend, the blind Lewis (Jeff Daniels) that he met while recovering in a medical center, and helps him in the daily activities. When he meets Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode) in a bar, he is introduced to the sexy Luvlee (Isla Fisher) and has sex with her after a long period of abstinence. Chris gets closer to Gary, and sooner he is invited to help his gang to rob the Noel Bank. Chris is upset with his lifestyle and sees the chance to change his life, convinced that whoever has the money has the power.

"The Lookout" is an excellent dramatic thriller, in spite of the common theme "bank heist. The screenplay builds perfectly the lead character Christopher Pratt from a successful and promising teenager to a frustrated mentally incapacitated and with remorse and guilty complex young man, with a total lack of professional perspectives and no-longer successful with women. The result is quite predictable, but the way the plot is disclose is amazing. The resemblance of the talented actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt with the recently deceased Heath Ledger is impressive. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available