Out of Sight (1998)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Screenplay: Scott Frank (based on the book by Elmore Leonard)

Cast: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames

Music: David Holmes

Time: 123 minutes

Bottom-line: Hilarious and action-packed, with Clooney stealing the show

The film that made Clooney the star he is today, Soderbergh’s Out of Sight is a comedy-heist film, co-starring Jennifer Lopez and Ving Rhames in the lead roles, with Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn and Albert Brooks in the supporting roles. Packed with humour and action, the film is – as the Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads – “witty, sexy and surprisingly entertaining.”

Jack Foley (Clooney) is a career bank robber, who is now serving in Florida prison after a foiled robbery. His friend, Buddy Bragg (Rhames) waits outside the prison in a getaway car, but the plan is interrupted by US Marshal Karen Sisco (Lopez). After a brief tiff, Bragg crams Foley and Sisco in the boot of the car and drives away. Despite the initial hostility, both Foley and Sisco develop a romantic interest for the other. Foley, Bragg and Glenn plan to rob a businessman, Ripley (Brooks), who had gloated to them earlier in prison about having diamonds in his house. Meanwhile, another inmate, Maurice (Cheadle), and his associates, also plan to rob Ripley. As Foley plans to stay ahead of Maurice, he also realises that Sisco is on his tail. But is it to arrest him, or because she loves him?

 

Clooney as Foley

In many ways, it looks like Out of Sight was Soderbergh’s trial run to decide whether or not to go ahead with Ocean’s Eleven. But, after Clooney’s impeccable charm and charisma gave him his much-needed break in his career, Soderbergh had no qualms. From the opening bank robbery scene, Clooney’s acting is brilliant – whether he is having an intimate conversation with Sisco or engaging in a fight. While Lopez’s sexiness is what is most obvious about her character, you have to praise her acting as well. The way she plays both good cop and bad cop with Foley intensifies the chemistry between so much. This film is one of the best examples of the phrase “opposites attract”.

 

Lopez as Sisco

The story rides a lot on the acting to have the effect it does. The blend of action and comedy is really good, and the dialogues are sharp and clever. I like the exchanges between Sisco and Foley throughout the film – from the one the boot of the car to the showdown – playing mind games and trying to prove their wit. The ending is one where Sisco has to choose between career and love, and what she does may not be what you would expect, but I felt it was a clean climax. The bank robbery scene at the beginning of the film and the time Foley and Sisco meet in the bar are my favourite moments in the film.

 

Rhames as Bragg

Action, slapstick humour, biting dialogues and splendid performances, Out of Sight has it all. If that’s not good enough to motivate you to watch it already, then perhaps you should watch it just to see what kicked off Clooney’s career (and to be frank, that’s why I saw the film in the first place!).

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93% 

The Limey (1999)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Story: Dem Lobbs

Cast: Terrance Stamp, Luiz Guzman, Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Fonda

Music: Cliff Martinez

Time: 86 minutes

Bottom-line: Has little else apart from Stamp’s performance

1998-2001 were the peak years of Soderbergh’s career, with several hit films back-to-back: Out of Sight, Traffic, Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s Eleven. This 1999 film in between ruins the streak. Starring two actors famous from the 60s: Terrance Stamp and Peter Fonda, this is a film that starts out well, but fails to hit the right notes.

 

Stamp as Wilson

“Tell him I’m coming!”

An Englishman, Wilson (Stamp) travels to LA to investigate the "accident" of his daughter, Jenny, which he believes to be murder. After serving nine years in a British prison, he is a hardened man ready to use a gun and violence if the need arises. He tracks down two of her friends: Eduardo (Guzman) and Elaine (Warren) to find out what they know. On enquiring, his suspicion falls on Jenny’s boyfriend, a wealthy record producer named Terry Valentine (Fonda). Valentine is also involved in drug trafficking; his right-hand man, and manager of the drug business, is Avery (Barry Newman). When Wilson kills one of Valentine’s bodyguards, Avery hires a hitman to kill Wilson. Whether Valentine was actually responsible for Jenny’s death and whether Wilson gets his revenge is what the rest of the film is about.

 

Fonda as Valentine 

The title refers to a slang used by Americans to refer to a British person. Throughout the film, there are several references to Wilson’s English accent and past. The editing technique used here is new: one dialogue extends into several scenes; a line from the present is juxtaposed with a scene from the past/future, and the narrative structure is also non-linear. There are sudden flashes of past and future events. Soderbergh uses a hazy look to show the flashbacks of Jenny and Wilson. Now, why this weird editing? Is it to symbolically say something? Either way, I consider it an experiment gone wrong; it didn’t give a good effect at all. One scene I liked is the one where Wilson kills Valentine’s men in the warehouse; one long take shows Wilson being thrown out on the street, getting up, taking a hidden gun, going back in, killing the men and coming out with a splatter of blood on his face. Another interesting scene is where he kills the bodyguard: the camera focuses on Valentine having a good time, whereas in the background, you can see Wilson’s doing, highlighting the “safety” that Valentine thinks he is enjoying.  

 

Guzman as Eduardo 

Terrance Stamp’s performance is the only highlight of the film. This badass hero, with chiselled expressions and cold blue eyes, will stop at nothing to avenge his daughter’s murder. The way he kills Valentine’s hitmen in the warehouse, and later hauls the bodyguard down to his death send chills down your spine. We can clearly see the effects of prison on him; while his reminiscences of Jenny are full of emotion, not a trace of it is visible on his face or voice. Fonda and Newman have also given good performances, with the former skilfully playing a charming romantic, stylish businessman as well as a killer.

 

Warren as Elaine 

With a running time of less than 90 minutes, I think the film leaves out a lot of detail. Giving minimal details about flashbacks is usually good, but here, I felt the build-up wasn’t sufficient. There was no plot twist, nor any “aha” moment, though I expected a lot of them from the plot synopsis. So, apart from the performances of Stamp and Fonda, the film doesn’t have anything to boast about.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

Ek Hasina Thi (2004)

English Translation: There was a beautiful woman

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Story: Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti

Cast: Urmila Matdonkar, Saif Ali Khan

Music: Amar Mohile

Time: 137 minutes

Bottom-line: Unconventional for an Indian film, but a chilling revenge drama

Loosely based on (my favourite) Sidney Sheldon’s novel If Tomorrow Comes, Sriram Raghavan’s Ek Hasina Thi is a revenge drama that lies strongly on the performances of Urmila Matdonkar and Saif Ali Khan. I’m surprised this film did not receive the recognition it deserved; in fact, I got to know about this thanks to a “lesser-known Bollywood thrillers” compilation.

Sarika (Urmila) works at a travel agency, leading an uneventful life. One day, a rich, suave businessman, Karan Rathod (Saif) comes to her workplace, and soon starts following and stalking her. Soon, the relationship starts getting intimate, despite the initial hostility. Few days later, Karan informs Sarika that his friend would come to stay there for a few hours, and she agrees to play host. He leaves abruptly, keeping his suitcase in her custody. Moments after, the friend is revealed to be a gangster and is murdered. Sarika is arrested for his murder, as she had his suitcase; she’s later sentenced to seven years in jail. Sarika struggles in prison, hoping that Karan will rescue her. Meanwhile, we see that Karan is also part of the underworld, and he had set her up. As Sarika realises this, she decides it’s time for revenge.

 

Saif as Karan

With no songs, no happily-ever-after climax, and importantly, with a female hero, Ek Hasina Thi is one of the most unconventional Indian films you will ever see. The beginning is similar to Sigappu Rojakkal, the Tamil film starring Kamal Hassan and Sridevi, where a similar romance between a businessman and a salesgirl blooms into something far more sinister. There aren’t as many plot twists as the novel, but the ones in this film are pretty effective.   

 

Urmila as Sarika

Her role as Sarika is probably Urmila Matdonkar’s career-best performance (along with her role in Kaun). The transition her character undergoes from the innocent and naïve person to the fearless avenger is brilliantly portrayed – look out for the scene where Karan and her “lawyer” convince her to wait patiently, and she realises that Karan is manipulating her. The way Sarika acts, pretending to be innocent later, is also equally good. Saif Ali Khan’s smooth, manipulative character will make you burn in anger, which goes on to prove what a good job he has done. Of course, there are instances of overacting, especially with his put-on accent for English. The mind games they play with each other is the best part of the film, because one doesn’t know how much the other knows, but we, the audience, know everything that's happening. Just when you think Sarika is winning, Karan pulls a fast one. Another interesting part of the story is how slowly, gradually Karan wins over Sarika and tricks her into falling in love with him.

The climax of the film is fitting and just, even if it’s not ideal, with both characters getting what they deserve. With a fairly tight storyline, solid acting and an unorthodox climax, Ek Hasina Thi is a thriller you should not miss.   

My Rating: 4/5