THE LOOKOUT
US, 2006, 99 minutes, Colour.
Joseph Gordon- Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Bruce Mc Gill, Isla Fisher, Alberta Watson.
Directed by Scott Frank.
A small film but one which is very effective within its own limits.
For the first half, the film is a portrait of a bright young high school hockey athlete who is responsible for the death of two friends and severe leg injuries for another because of his driving bravado and a crash. He himself has been brain damaged and has lost a lot of his memory and, especially, his ability to recall detail and make connections. He goes to a school for training, especially in sequential thinking, and boards with an older blind man. He does cleaning jobs in a bank.
Chris is Joseph Gordon- Levitt (from Third Rock from the Sun to Mysterious Skin and Brick) and he brings humanity to this complex character, not just making him an object of pity or sentimentalising him, but showing more realistically - his successes, failures and his frustrations. Jeff Daniels is very good as Lewis, his blind (but rough-mouthed) friend. There is a very edgy sequence at a Thanksgiving dinner when Chris takes Lewis to meet his wealthy parents.
Chris is helped in a bar by a seemingly friendly young man who also introduces him to a former lap-dancer and Chris is drawn in by the contact and the infatuation. Gary (British Matthew Goode) is really planning a bank robbery with a group of thugs and wants Chris’s co-operation and information. The dancer, Luvlee, is played by Australian Isla Fisher.
This means that the second part of the film is the planning and execution of the robbery, Chris’s part in it and the effect that it has on him. The consequences of the robbery are not what we might have anticipated, which gives the film some forcefulness and a more rounded picture of Chris.
Plot, performances and tension make this a very good film.
1.The success of the film? Small, small-budget? Psychological drama? Portrait of a disabled young man? Crime thriller? The combination?
2.Kansas City in winter, the town, the streets, the diner, apartments, the bank, authentic?
3.The title, the crime, Chris and his being the lookout? The actual job and its failure?
4.The opening, Chris driving, looking at the glow-worms, the lights, the light turned off, the young couple in the back, Kelly and her enjoying the lights, the couple’s panic, the sudden sighting of the machine, the crash? The later detailed images of the crash and the aftermath? Chris and his being thrown out of the car, the helicopter, in the coma, his continually returning to the scene? The images coming to him as he drove? The finale, going back, the police pulling him up for speeding, reading the card about his inabilities? His burying the money at the scene? The deaths of the criminals at the scene? Purging himself, saving Lewis’s life?
5.Chris, the importance of the voice-over, his repeating his story, waking, showering, the soap? Writing in his notebook? Erasing it? The institution, the classes, his having to learn sequencing? Boarding with Lewis, Lewis urging him to tell the stories, go to the end, work back, find the consequences? Testing it out with the Goldilocks story?
6.Chris and the aftermath of the accident, having some memories, not having memories, awkward, blunt in what he said, losing his car key and having the car (??) in his shoe? The frustrations? The relationship with women, his gaffes, in the bars? Meeting Gary, Gary’s friendship, the issue of the tip and the bartender taking adventure? The meeting with Luvlee, the drink? The effect, friendship, Luvlee taking him home, his falling in love, the sexual relationship? His life at home, with Lewis? His going to the meal in the house, meeting the other members of the group, drawn in? Luvlee and the reality of the seduction?
7.Lewis, his blindness, his past story, cynical yet friendly, at home with his blindness, preparing the meals, talking with Chris, Chris and his frustration with the can opener and other difficulties? Their plans for the restaurant? Going for the loan interview, the response of the bank adviser? The meal at the diner? The tension growing between the two, Chris and his attack on Lewis? Lewis giving advice?
8.Thanksgiving, going back with Lewis to the family dinner, the talk at the table, playing chess with his father, the mother and the recipes from Lewis, the sister and her baby, her love for Chris, the decision to leave? Gary and his taunts about his father’s generosity with money, phoning his father in the night, the discussion about the loan, his father’s refusal?
9.Gary, the headquarters for the planning of the robbery, the photos, the plan itself, persuading Chris to help, talking about the farmers, authorities, Chris’s money, insurance, the taunts about his father? Playing on Chris’s characters? Gary himself, the past from school, dating Chris’s sister, spending time in jail? His drinking, at the bar, sexual relationships? The other members of the gang? Bone, sinister and silent, the driver and his knowing all of Chris’s movements? The young women? Marty, the explanation of how the break-in was to occur?
10.Chris at work, the bank, the interchanges with the boss, the lady teller, the kindly policeman, bringing the doughnuts?
11.Chris, caught in the plan, telling off Lewis, the clash with the cop, the tense meal with Lewis at the diner?
12.The night of the crime, the information, the plan, the policeman passing by, his apology to Chris, Chris ringing Lewis, the policeman coming back with the doughnuts, the break-in, the shootout, Chris and his getting away?
13.The escape, Chris and his memories, driving, burying the money, going to his father’s home, the issue of the gun, taking it with the ammunition, his ringing, the criminals having Lewis, Gary and his wound, Bone and his gun? His ringing, setting up a timetable? The planned meeting? Sitting in the car, his having seen Kelly at various times, the dream and imagining Kelly, her accepting her situation, showing him her artificial leg? Forgiveness? Waking up?
14.The final confrontation, the taunts, driving to the accident site, Chris and his digging up the money, the bags, Lewis and his being in the car, Bone and his attempts to shoot Lewis? Chris and the bags, shooting Bones? Rescuing Lewis?
15.Lewis, the meeting with Luvlee, Luvlee and the truth about what she was doing, her love for Chris, Lewis seeing through her? Her leaving town, in the cab, looking back at him?
16.The new restaurant, his father coming to see it? The bank manager grateful – and the reality of his having offered Chris the possibility of working as a teller? Chris and his comment on his confession, everything on the video surveillance? The future for Chris, for Lewis?
