Out of Time (2003)

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Blistering performances.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

A Florida police chief must solve a vicious double homicide before he himself falls under suspicion. Out of Time is one of Denzel Washington's most underrated films it's full of non stop tension and thriller i was on the edge of my seat in every scene i wanted him not to get caught my only complain which i wouldn't call a complain in the first place is that the whole plot element of the film or in this case the twist can be seen by miles but still that doesn't ruin a what i can call a perfect action thriller because this film had a lot of good tension and Denzel, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan and Dean Cain gave some truly great performances and in my opinion i'll give it an A+

Carl Franklin is good, but this isn't one of his best. Training Day is standout, but Out Of Time is pretty much a B movie with some fancy camera-work and a corny ending. Denzel Washington is also good, and here delivers what Denzel Washington can deliver, though I would like to see him in a more challenging role which demands he make an effort and doesn't just give us Denzel Washington.To be honest B movie with fancy camera-work says it all, although there were some good as well as some bad B movies. As for the plot of Out Of Time, you've seen it a hundred times before and although there are some moments of suspense when our hero Denzel, who has been a little foolish though not much gets in far too deep and has to think fast to get out of it again, there ain't much here you will remember in two days time.On reflection too much doesn't hang together, not least the romance between chief Washington and his soon to be ex-wife Detective Mendes. Either part could have been played by any number of other actors and the film wouldn't have suffered unduly. Oh, well. Give it a whirl if you have nothing better to do, and if you have you haven't really missed much.

With a poll soon to be held on IMDb's Classic Film board for the best titles of 2003,I started to search round for an 03 Neo-Noir title to view for the year.Struggleing to find any interesting sounding Neo-Noirs from 03,I suddenly remembered a wonderful review that I had recently read on IMDb's Film Noir board,which led to me discovering,that I was thankfully not out of time,to view a Neo-Noir from 2003.The plot:Celebrating a successful arrest which led to a large gangs dirty money being captured,small town cop Matt Whitlock decides to mark the occasion,by spending time with his mistress Ann Merai Harrison.Stopping any sense of fun for either of them,Harrison is told that she has cancer,and that she only has 5 months to live.Originally planning to use her medical insurance to fund the only medicine that the doctor says may save her life,Harrison is left in shock,when she finds out that her husband (Chris) has changed the insurance,so that the only way anyone can get to the cash in Ann's name,is if she dies.Furious by the corner which his lover has been placed in,Whitlock decides to take the only option on the table:stealing the dirty money from the police station,and giving it to Harrison so that she can afford her medicine.Along with her medicine cash,Whitlock also arranges for Harrison to change the details on her insurance,so that Whitlock can get hold of the cash and give it to Harrison,behind her husband's back.Arranging to meet up with Harrison later that night, (in order to sort out the insurance details) Whitlock instead receives an emergency call about Harrison's house being on fire.Rushing to the scene,Whitlock discovers that he has signed up for a far from risk-free insurance,when the remains of the burnt out house reveal no sign of the Harrison's or the dirty money.View on the film:For the screenplay of the movie,writer Dave Collard combines Neo-Noir with crime caper elements,with the Neo-Noir smoke being scatted as Whitlock begins to relies about what murky dealings he has got himself involved in.Despite the plot having a number of clear flaws, (how did none of the other cops spot the phone number!) Collard uses the movies crime caper side to give the title a delightfully playfully edge,with Whitlock having to go from dodging eyewitnesses to jumping out of windows,in the hope of keeping the Harrison's disappearance and the dirty money loss under wraps.Shooting on location in Miami,director Carl Franklin (who would not direct a film again for 10 years!) perfectly matches Collard's tones by soaking the movie in warm pastor tones which gradually darken as Whitlock sinks deeper into the Neo-Noir world.Along with the eye- catching colours,Franklin also uses sharp whip-pans to superbly show the desperation that is starting to take a hold on Whitlock.Smashing his Clark Kent glasses to the ground,Dean Cain gives an excellent performance as Chris Harrison,with Cain splattering a wide smirk across Harrison's face,as he becomes increasingly suspicious over his wife and Whitlock's activities.Joining a wonderfully smooth Denzel Washington,John Billingsley delivers a fantastic performance as the only cop who will try to stop time running out for Whitlock.

What really stands out for me about "Out of Time" is just how nicely it captures the hot and steamy locale of coastal Florida in the Summer, right down the sex scenes (with a score that perfectly suits). You can just feel the humidity. But aside from the stunning Eva Mendez, that's about it. The movie does kick into moderate gear with Denzel running interference between police and the mounting evidence of his involvement in the double homicide - which becomes preposterous at times, but solid direction keeps things moving. Still, the coincidences are absurd, and rob the movie of any depth. Plus, it's Dean Cain as the villain; a recent graduate of the Hasselhoff School of Goateed Bad Guy Acting.6/10