Out of Time

Out of Time
by Carl Franklin

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DVD Reviews of Out of Time

DVD Review: An action-packed thriller lacking action and thrills
Summary: 2 Stars

This "suspense" flick will keep you on the edge of your seat only if:

A. You have a very small seat,
B. You have a very large backside, or
C. Some visual impairment prevents you from noticing huge plot holes and over-emphasized hints.

As far as the acting goes, even on autopilot (and making an appearance for the sake of a paycheck,) Denzel's talent raises this contrived tripe somewhat out of the gutter. Aside from this, there are no performances that rise above the level of boring. This isn't a knock against the actors, the truth of it is that the characters in this film (i.e., Cold Ex-Wife, Abused Woman, Absolutely, Totally, Without Remorse Evil Man, and Fat, Funny Sidekick) have been so overused that original incarnations of them are nearly impossible.

The casting in this film is insulting...Denzel Washington and his mistress, the script tells us, were once high school sweethearts. Well, as their ages are separated by almost two decades, either Denzel's character (Matt Whitlock) spent quite a few years failing grades or his "sweetheart" was infant at about the time Whitlock was graduating. Oh, Whitlock is married in this film, though separated, and, if you can believe it(!), a woman even younger than his mistress was cast as his wife. Yes, it's a constant gripe of mine, but can the audience please see men and women of similar ages playing the roles of husband/wife, husband/mistress? Especially when the script tell us they're within a few years of one another!

Now, the screenplay. Wow. My first thought is that, when Denzel signed on, the writers decided there was no need for further rewrites. Any and all suspense and tension is lost when clues are shoved down the viewer's throats and this might have been prevented had care been taken. I don't want to give any particulars, but, if you're halfway paying attention, then there are probably half a dozen scenes in the film where the director could have been less conspicuous by having the actors stop speaking and pull out large neon signs baring the words "HERE IS A CLUE." For example, when a character, early in the film, goes into a long explanation and demonstration of how his cell phone is linked to GPS tracking system...well, unless you're braindead, you can bet this is going to be on the test.

As well, little in this film occurs because it is in the natural order of things; no, what happens here only does because the script demands it. You know that point in a horror film when the girl has a choice between getting in her car and driving to safety or going, by herself, into the dark house? The only reason she walks through the doorway is because the movie ends if she doesn't. That same necessity for stupidity appears to be behind the actions of all the characters in "Out of Time." In short, everyone is this film is stupid when the script demands it and brilliant when needed. As such, the characters never are believable because they fail to rise above the level of plot device. And that's sad, for to feel suspense the audience must be concerned with whom they're seeing...and that never happens here. Without revealing too much, a wonderful example of this is when characters A, B, and C con D out of large sum of money. Now, the wise thing for the scammers to do would be to leave town...after all, they do have a half-day head start and a nice bankroll...but that wisdom wouldn't happen here. No, instead, one of the baddies goes to a hotel and the other two hide out in an abandoned shack. Why do they do this? Why don't they take the half-million and charter a boat to the islands or flee north to Miami? If they do...movie over. Why does the group separate? Because, if our hero catches them all at once, then the film ends at hour one...having the members apart almost doubles the running time. Why is the money held by the weakest link in the villain chain (especially when we know that the cash was handed directly to main conspirators)?...the movie requires it. Why doesn't the protagonist, having "caught" a bad guy and retrieved the loot, not turn to the police (or, at least, have the police accompany him for "THE FINAL SHOWDOWN?"...the movie won't let him.

...and it goes on and on.

I don't require perfection from films, but don't insult me. If you want a good suspense flick where you care about the hero...where you twist and turn right along with him...then check Michael Douglas in "The Game" and leave this formulaic trash on the shelf of Blockbuster.

Description of Out of Time