Be Cool, by Tyler Smith

OUT OF SIGHT (1998)

I realize that “cool” is not the most descriptive word, and doesn’t usually show up in my blogs, but it is the best way to describe the style and the substance of the world of Elmore Leonard. His characters, particularly his protagonists, are always confident, without necessarily seeming cocky, and very streetwise. They can usually get themselves out of sticky situations with a little brainwork, but can usually kick ass when the chips are down. As the heroes of his stories are usually several steps ahead of the other characters, nothing really surprises them.

Unless, of course, a chance at romance comes along. They usually don’t anticipate that.

And it is with this in mind that we come to Out of Sight, directed by Steven Soderbergh. The third in the series of Leonard adaptations that finally, at long last, “got it right” (the other two being Get Shorty and Jackie Brown), this film is actually an improvement on the original novel.

The story is relatively simple. A prison escapee named Jack Foley falls in love with the federal marshal, Karen Sisco, that is chasing him. Karen just happened to be on the scene as Jack was escaping and, in a moment of panic, the two end up in a car trunk together. They talk; about Jack’s criminal exploits, Karen’s dress, movies, etc.

By the end of the trip, it’s obvious that Jack has developed a slight crush on Karen. As the film continues, we learn that Karen has the same feelings for Jack. This strange dynamic continues, even as Jack falls in with a tough crowd of ex-cons and murderers, leading to a climax where Jack and Karen finally have to come to terms with the contradictory nature of their relationship.

While Out of Sight is not my favorite Elmore Leonard film adaptation, I would say that it is, by far, the best. Soderbergh manages something quite difficult. He creates realistic, down-to-earth characters, while still preserving the clever quirkiness that is Leonard’s trademark.

The result is characters that are cool and smart and enjoyable to listen to, but never seem like caricatures. Jack and Karen, while never forgetting the irony of their relationship, are always very aware of the weight of it. For them, outsmarting the bad guys is fairly easy. Trying to make sense of their feelings; that’s the true conflict of this film.

I could go on and on about Out of Sight, but I won’t. It’s a gem of a movie that no amount of discussion could ever do justice.

I will say this, though:

I give my personal guarantee that anybody that watches this movie- man, woman, young, old- will like it. I don’t give that guarantee to many films that I like, but this is one of them. It’s bold, I know. I’m sure that, somewhere out there, there is a person who wouldn’t like this film.
If so, I’ve never met them, because I don’t associate with people like that.