ENTERTAINMENT REALM

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Isla Fisher, Jeff Daniels
Directed by: Scott Frank
Miramax Films

Everyone was saying how you woke up this other guy.
–Luvlee [Fisher] to Chris [Gordon-Levitt] about his coma.

Chris Pratt [Gordon-Levitt] seemed to lead the charmed life: star hockey player, pretty girlfriend, popular, family wealth and a number of prospects ahead of him. Now, he lives by lists. People do not expect much of him. And he seems an easy target and you get uneasy when anyone talks to him. Stuck in a mind he did not choose to be in, nor wants to be can be surprising and is often frustrating for Chris. He’s now treated differently. Sometimes he surprises himself and gets frustrated too by his slow verbalization process or the way he blurts things out at times.

Gordon-Levitt expresses a naivety and just the right expression. On the extras, Gordon-Levitt said he intentionally did not get much slept and was really worn out on the set to get in to the mindset of this character. It’s an impressive character study. Fully aware of his shortcomings, the character knows at times how slow and complicated things are and other times is lucent.

Despite wealthy parents he works cleaning floors at the local bank and lives in a shady part of town with his blind friend. Guilt? Some form of self-punishment? Townies befriend him and convince him to collaborate on a scheme to rob the bank; will he go through with it after all. Especially conniving and convincing is Luvlee [played by the effervescent Fisher]. Chris hasn’t received so much attention in a long time. But will he risk it all for the thrill or for the money or the power that it will provide?

The Lookout is a superior psychological thriller.

STEELE RECOMMENDATION: Top of the netflix queue.