With Blades of Glory coming out this weekend, it’s starting to seem like the year’s best movie is about to be completely overlooked. I’m talking about Scott Frank’s brilliant new film The Lookout. In case you’ve become so obsessed with Will Ferrell’s stretchy pants that you haven’t noticed, it’s opening tomorrow and you need to be there.
Yes, I know you’re excited to see Blades of Glory, and I’m sure it’s going to be hilarious. But Blades of Glory is a huge movie, it’s going to make fifty million dollars with or without you, and it’ll still be in theaters two months from now. It won’t kill you to wait a bit to see it. The Lookout on the other hand is only getting a 1000 screen release. Big enough that if you want to see it, you’ll be able to, but small enough that if you don’t get out and support it this weekend it’s going to disappear before you get a second chance to.
Wait, you haven’t heard anything about The Lookout yet? I’m not surprised, it’s not getting a huge marketing blitz. Go right now and read my SXSW review of the film right here, or for those of you too lazy for a simple click, here’s a quick plot synopsis:
The Lookout stars Brick’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt as former High School king Chris Pratt. Four years ago his life took a turn for the worse when a brutal car accident left him brain damaged. Chis has difficulty keeping sequences straight in his head. Complex problems make him frustrated. He avoids reading the newspaper, because it just makes him angry. Making dinner is a challenge. He gets through the day with reminders scratched down in his notebook. But after years of therapy Chris is now mostly self-sufficient. He lives on his own with his only friend, a blind roommate named Lewis, played by Jeff Daniels. Stay with me, because here’s where it gets fun. Chris is the night janitor at a bank. A bank which is about to be robbed. The crooks planning the heist use Chris’s frustration with his disability to lure him into joining their plot. Suddenly a guy who can’t figure out how to open a can of tomatoes is involved in a complex game of crosses and double crosses. Chris has a hard time remembering what to do after he wakes up in the morning, how will he handle a conspiracy?
Still not convinced? Then here are ten more reasons from the nation’s top film critics, who by the way, have given the film a glorious 84% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes:
1. “In a knockout directing debut, Frank cooks up his own mischief. The web he spins will pull you in. Guaranteed.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
2. “Every once in a while it’s my great privilege to see a small film that strikes me as an instant masterpiece.” – Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
3. “Frank's writing is razor-sharp, his filmmaking whistle-clean.” – David Edelstein, New York Magazine
4. “I haven't raved so much over a film's ability to stop my pulse, as this one did, since "Maria Full of Grace.” – Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
5. “Gordon-Levitt's worth the admission all by his lonesome. He's that good - the proverbial young man with an old soul who brings unexpected depth, complexity, and sincerity to what could have been just another damaged-guy role. He's the one to look out for.” – Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice
6. “A lean, to-the-bone, expertly acted small-town noir that takes unusual care to cast the moral compass of its characters in various shades of gray. There's just no fat on it.” – Andrew Wright, The Stranger
7. “A brilliant, edge-of-your seat, completely engrossing thriller.” – Joshua Tyler, CinemaBlend.com
8. “Nifty in construction and savvy in execution, this is a twisty thriller that's both cannily suspenseful and honestly moving.” – Frank Switek, One Guy’s Opinion
9. “Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the most promising young American actor since Marlon Brando.” – Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
10. “A stealthy neo-noir drama that isn't afraid to take its time developing characters on the way to the payoff of a neatly designed caper scenario.” – Joe Leydon, Variety
Still planning on seeing Blades of Glory instead? My god you’re stubborn. Alright, here’s my last attempt to steer you in the right direction. The trailers, which, give you only the faintest glimpse of how great this movie is. Watch:
I’ve done everything I can. This weekend is now officially in your hands. You have a choice. Support The Lookout, or lose the right to complain the next time Hollywood decides to release a bunch of crappy, lowest common denominator movies instead of something good. Audiences have already dropped the ball once this year by refusing to support Black Snake Moan. You’ve got a second chance. Miramax is giving you something not only good, but great this weekend. The Lookout’s tagline is: “Whoever has the money, has the power.” This weekend you have the money, and you have the power. Support it or else.
