Honestly, anything Levitt is in is absolutely worth seeing.

The look and feel of this movie is that of plastic and so was the acting of many of the young actors including that of leadsman Joseph Gordon-Levitt who's performance was skin-deep throughout the whole ordeal, never showing us anything other than confusion or acted frustration. Jeff Daniels was the only actor able to put some weight into his role as Chris's blind roommate Lewis, the only 'real' character in this movie. At no point during this movie I was even slightly entertained and with it's formulaic plotpoints failing to give this film some momentum and absence of clever dialog, the viewer is rocked asleep like a baby.… Expand

The point is the multi-dimensional characters. the heist grabs us & leaves us wrung out because we care so much for Chris and Lewis. Even the villain & femme fatale are made real, not cardboard plot devices. Make sure you read the many excellent reviews, not just the tepid ones. None are really bad, just some wanting more action thrills who don't have the patience to see what's happening here.… Expand

Feels similar to Fargo in some ways, but without the comedy undertones.

Excellent acting, especially by Levitt and Daniels. While it seemed inevitible that Levitt's character would get him into such a jam, his determination to act on what he wrote in his notebook (that he had the power, and starting at the end of the story) were interesting plot devices. Keeps you on the edge of your chair during the last half of a just right length film.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I'm not really a fan of Jeff Daniels, but his performance was excellent and I have to give it to him.

Really not very good. First half of film moves WAY too slowly, and bank heist is only about guns, not clever in any way. Ridiculous ending only underscores pointlessness of this film. Three man actors put in very good performances, but for me this is not nearly enough. At least this is one case where the word on the street worked: the theater was nearly empty.

The movie isn't perfect. Sure Levitt is out of character at times and Daniels might not be blind but the movie is enjoyable. The movie has the right mix of suspense and drama to get you invested in the characters. At the end of the movie you'll be happy you went and even hopeful that Levitt with continue his film noir streak. Brick was great, The Lookout is good hopefully his next film will be perfection.… Expand

The Lookout is a great thriller very similar to Memento but it's much more involving because it's not played out in reverse and it moves forward with a smart character driven plot. The technical credits are all excellent especially the camera work of Alar Kivilo, but it's the cast that makes this one of those little gems you know nothing about and then thank the movie Gods that you saw it in a theatre. Joesph Gordon Levitt is well on his way to be the next Johnny Depp. Starting out in t.v. then on to small intelligent independent features like Mysterious Skin and Brick, it won't be long before he's an A-list in demand actor, and rightfully so. Jeff Daniels continues his resurgence after The Squid and the Whale with another well developed role as the blind roommate and Matthew Goode is unrecognizable from his upper-crust Matchpoint role. It's a shame that movies like The Lookout don't get the promotion they deserve because this is a great movie. Come on, Blades of Glory will still be around next week, do yourself a favor and see The Lookout now!… Expand

A slow buildup of tension through the first half of the movie leads to a thrilling finish. Difficult at times to determine what is real and what is imagined. Wonderful character development. Jeff Bridges plays a great role. Worth seeing but can be disturbing at times.

Joseph Gordon Levitt delivers another brilliant performance. See this at all costs.

This movie held my attention from the very beginning. It is intriguing, and the characters are interesting. Gordon-Levitt does a believable, understated, and touching job of portraying a damaged character. One reviewer mentioned the interesting cinematography, and I second that. At one point I wondered if the exterior of a building was the main character's apartment. Then the neon cross on a building across the street was reflected in a window. So I know it was indeed their building. Many similar touches add to the thoughtfulness of this film. I do recommend it.… Expand

If superb acting is what you require, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has got the chops in spades.

A very good thriller written by Scott Frank. I enjoyed the plot development and sympathized with the end character-Chris Pratt. Highly recommended for the "indy" crowd.

Levitt is quite good, as are all the actors, which makes up for a decent if not exactly compelling plot with an unnecessarily contrived back story.

Levitt is brilliant, the sitution he is put in in this movie just makes him shine!

The acting is strong; the story is pretty solid, if predictable in spots; the direction is good, especially the pacing.

Do we need another bank heist movie? Probably not, but "The Lookout"(in the first scene, you'll realize that the title is a bad pun), with its "Revenge of the Nerds"-like scenario(Gary wasn't a cool kid, nor was Luvlee; Matthew Goode and Isla Fisher) finds a way to make this tired genre seem fresh by focusing on the human drama instead of the crime itself. "The Lookout" is more interested in how thievery gives Chris(Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a new lease on life, rather than wow us with some elaborate plan to raid the vault in fetishistic detail. Chris suspects that his "friends" feel empowered by the table-turning switch for this ex-golden boy who used to rule the school and town. Chris should be paranoid. It's a truism that people like to tear their heroes down(you can tell that purchasing pity doughnuts for Chris stokes Deputy Ted's ego). "The Lookout" might've benefited greatly by knowing how Chris handled his big-man-on-campus notoriety. Should we feel sorry for him? But the film does have an ending that intrigues: Chris' success is the best you could possibly hope for a person with limited intelligence; however, if you were to foreground the crime element in "The Lookout", this happy ending feels bittersweet and ultimately disappointing because it subverts the genre(we're denied the vicarious thrill of...).… Expand

This is a wonderful character development movie with enough action in the plot to make it work. You get a great understand of the characters and it really draws you in. Plus the advanced scout team got this movie all wrong. It was about dealing with brain trauma, and not a revenge of the nerds type movie. The movie shows how Chris is completely fine yet can never have his old life again. It is about Chris' dealing with his accident and how cruel, ruthless, and manipulative people can be.… Expand

How anyone can give this film a semie decent score is unbelievable. It laughable plot hinges on someone with memory problems, who regualrly locks himself out of his car, being trusted with the keys to the local bank. The resolution is just insulting.

A top-notch thriller with another great preformance Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

A breath of fresh air amidst the usual summer rehashing of action-thrillers. A bank heist movie that is about so much more than a robbery. A character-driven plot with an excellent script, cast, locations and photography. This little gem should not be missed, except by numbskulls simply looking for another cheap thrill. Gordon-Levitt and Matthew Goode are superbly cast in the leads; with great supporting turns by Isla Fisher (remember her from Wedding Crashers?) and Jeff Daniels. Even MadTV's Alex Borstein has a nice little part... And watch out for "Deputy Doughnut"!… Expand

In 1998, George Clooney co-starred alongside then-pop-diva, Jennifer Lopez, in 'Out of Sight,' a film by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh. The film was hailed by critical masses as one of that year’s best and received two Academy Award nominations, one of which was for its screenplay, which was adapted from the same-titled Elmore Leonard novel by screenwriter Scott Frank. Since then, Frank has accumulated quite a resume – one that includes writing credits for Spielberg’s critically-acclaimed box office smash, 'Minority Report,' and the star-studded Hollywood satire, 'Get Shorty' (also first a novel by Elmore Leonard), which was released prior to 'Out of Sight,' in 1995. However, Frank had never taken a stab behind the camera – not until 'The Lookout' – and, basing his talent as a director on this film, I wonder why. Chris Pratt had everything. Once a teenage prodigy, Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was the star of his high school’s hockey team, raised in an upper-class family, and was the apple of every girl’s eye. One night, while driving with his girlfriend and two others, Pratt lost it all to a terrible car accident. Now the janitor of a small town bank, Pratt struggles daily with physical and mental consequences of that night. Feeling psychologically abandoned by his family, and without friends, Chris finds his only company in a middle-aged blind man named Lewis (Jeff Daniels), whom he shares his apartment with. Yearning for more in life – a more respectable job, female companionship – Chris is left vulnerable to Gary (Matthew Goode), a con whose intentions are to rob the bank at which Chris works. Pratt forms a friendship with Gary and even falls for a former-dancer named Luvlee (Isla Fisher), herself a friend of Gary’s. “Whoever has the money has the power.” Unfortunately for Chris, Gary is power-bent, caring not for a friendship with Chris, but rather for Chris’ access to the bank’s vault. As previously acknowledged, Frank’s writing ability is boundless, and 'The Lookout' will only increase the realization of that fact. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is captivating as the tormented 24-year-old, delivering a profoundly emotional performance that will sneak under your skin and tear itself out by film’s end. Daniels is convincing as the blind friend, whose life experiences have evolved into wisdom, which he volunteers to Chris. Daniels is also the film’s comic relief, which, actually, gives this already thrilling film some much-appreciated charm. In her brief screen time, Isla Fisher provides a supple romantic subplot and entices with her sexy character, Luvlee. Matthew Goode, as the malevolent mastermind behind the impending robbery, delivers a riveting, completely absorbing performance. In fact, don’t be surprised if you find his name on the nominee list, next to Frank (for his screenplay), come Oscar time. 'The Lookout' is a compelling study about the effects of past mistakes and the consequences that come with such, enthralling because of its broken protagonist, its gripping, crime-toting side-story, its talented cast and its fine-tuned dialogue. As one of 2007’s most inspired, lucidly scripted motion pictures, Scott Frank’s directorial debut will soon be regarded as a classic and may do what last year’s 'Little Miss Sunshine' did when February rolls around. “Whoever has the money has the power.” Well, for the price of a rental – or, if you’re feeling over-zealous, the DVD – you can experience this powerful example of a well-constructed movie.… Expand