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Out Of Time [2003]
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Denzel Washington thriller Out of Time is quite enjoyable if you ignore its implausible plotting. Partly inspired by 1948's The Big Clock and its nominal 1987 remake No Way Out, this reunion of Washington and his Devil in a Blue Dress director Carl Franklin is about a man--in this case the police chief (Washington) of sleepy Banyan Key, Florida--who falls into a trap set by others, sinks into legal quicksand of his own making, and must race the clock to extricate himself from a series of incriminating setbacks. The Florida setting adds welcome character to the pot-boiler plot, and Washington's screen credibility makes it easy to overlook the absurdities of rookie writer David Collard's screenplay. Eva Mendes is sharp and sensible as Washington's estranged wife (do you think they'll reconcile for a happy ending?), and the talented John Billingsley--whose portrayal of Dr Phlox on TV's Enterprise is vastly underrated--is a constant delight as Washington's medical examiner, beer buddy and wily co-conspirator. --Jeff Shannon
A wee bit too simple(-minded)
Review date: 2007-10-15 Rating: 8 out of 10
A simple thriller in which a woman is used as a piece of bait to get some drug money from a gullible cop who believes he is in love with her. The final twist is not what we could have hoped, but it sure is convincing about the dumbness of cops or even men when they get infatuated with love. But the interest of the film is essentially in the hectic chase-escape of one cop after-from another cop who happens to be his-her wife-husband. One thing is sure: as soon as a woman appears within his eye-range he loses all rational common sense and starts seeing butterflies landing on his nose. But it is funny and entertaining.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines
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Reviews
Starts slow, but picks up speed
Review date: 2007-10-06 Rating: 8 out of 10
Denzel Washington plays a police chief in a small town in Florida. We first see him having an affair with a married woman stricken with cancer. His girlfriend has terminal cancer and it looks like her only chance to afford treatment has slipped away. Denzel's character, Chief Whitlock, then makes an illegal decision to help her financially. Shortly after this we see him served with divorce papers. And his girlfriend and her husband turn up dead in a house fire started by arson. Of course from our point of view the only culprit can be Whitlock.
This is where the movie really starts. The police force starts to track down the killer. At the same time, Whitlock's works hard to stay one step ahead of the investigation. This is a definite suspense movie. I was on the edge of my seat as I watched Whitlock race to stay one step ahead of the investigation. Denzel really sold this character. He did great job acting and made it realistic. Though the movie is fun to watch once it gets moving. I found it hard to believe that any police chief would do what he did. It is still defiantly worth watching.
Good, but it had even better potential
Review date: 2007-08-14 Rating: 8 out of 10
Matt Whitlock, chief of police for the sleepy little south Florida town of Banyan Key, has a big problem. Whitlock (Denzel Washington) has taken $500,000 in drug money from the evidence room at police headquarters and given it to a woman he's been having a passionate affair with, Ann Harrison (Sanaa Lathan). Harrison has learned that she has aggressive cancer of the lungs and liver; a trip to Europe for expensive alternative therapy is her only hope. Her husband, Chris Harrison (Dean Cain), is a thug who's a security guard for the town's hospital. Ann Harrison works out a $1 million life insurance policy on herself and names Whitlock the beneficiary. He is sure that one way or another he can replace the money before the drug case will ever come to trial. Then three things happen. Both Ann and Chris Harrison are burned to death, beyond recognition, when an arsonist sets fire to their house. Second, Whitlock's estranged wife, Alex (Eva Mendes), who is divorcing him and is a homicide detective, is given the double murder. And third, the drug case becomes active and Federal agents want all the evidence, including the money. Everything starts to point at Whitlock as the probable murderer. It's only a matter of time before his wife lines in the dots. To prove his innocence he has to stay one step ahead of his wife and one step ahead of the Feds. And he has to move a lot faster than the real bad guys, once he figures out who they are.
This is a movie that has a lot going for it. The locale looks great. Banyan Key is a place with big trees down main street, seedy houseboats and crab shacks. It's a place that's hot in the daytime and sweaty at night. Denzel Washington as usual turns in a performance that's shrewd and likable. The plot is nicely convoluted, even though it relies on some things falling into place a little too conveniently.
What's not to like about it? For starters, the screenplay. There's too much exposition and too little energy. It took a long time, it seemed to me, before the plot started cooking. None of the characters, even Washington's Matt Whitlock, grabbed me sufficiently to care much about them, and the villains weren't very engaging. The casting also, for me, had a major flaw. Eva Mendes is a good looking woman, but at least in this movie she shows a limited acting range. She just couldn't make her character the kind of smart, skeptical, strong woman who might have given Washington a run for his money. Their scenes together seemed to me to be conventional Hollywood stuff.
To see Washington play a first rate police chief in a movie with a lot of charm and energy, check out The Mighty Quinn. To see a movie starring Washington and directed by Carl Franklin that hits all burners, check out Devil in a Blue Dress. Out of Time, for me, is pleasant to watch, but maybe not one to keep. The DVD has a number of typical extras such as outtakes, screen tests, "making of" feature and so on. The DVD picture looks great.
"A BRILLIANT TWIST"
Review date: 2007-08-05 Rating: 10 out of 10
If you want to know what happens, read the synopsis, better still watch the movie. It is not a fast paced film considering the title but it has got fantastic edge of the seat stuff as the story unfolds. I have watched it a couple of times and I will again and even though I know the ending it is still a very enjoyable thriller that is one of D.W.`S better films.
INTELLIGENT THRILLER - KEEPS YOU HOOKED
Review date: 2007-06-24 Rating: 8 out of 10
This film has a very original and interesting story, which keeps you hooked to the very end with a few twists and turns along the way. The acting and direction is just as good, and it is filmed around the Miami area so a sunny, stylish and sexy setting. The only little niggle is that there is not much action, the movie moves along at the right pace as the plot develops very cleverly. A very good intelligent thriller that is well recommended.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Eva Mendes
Denzel Washington
John Billingsley
Sanaa Lathan
Dean Cain
Creators:
Denzel Washington (Primary Contributor)
Sanaa Lathan (Primary Contributor)
Alex Gartner (Producer)
Damien Saccani (Producer)
Dan Genetti (Producer)
Gina White (Producer)
Jesse Beaton (Producer)
Jon Berg (Producer)
David Collard (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: Momentum Pictures
Manufacturer: Momentum Pictures
EAN: 5060049145167
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2004-05-10
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2003-10-03
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: English (Original Language)