Perspire and expire

Denzel Washington’s latest, the film noir Out of Time, should be titled It’s Freaking Hot: The Year I Sweat My Ass Off. This is just one of those movies set in the South (Florida, to be exact) where the protagonist (Washington) gets into trouble, commences massive perspiring and runs around a lot. As he gets closer to “the truth,” he continues to sweat through his garments and has a final confrontation with a mystery baddie during which both sweat like exploding fire hydrants.

The reason I kept noticing the pit stains is because there isn’t much else in this mystery to grab your attention. Washington is fine as Florida Sheriff Matt Whitlock, a man who gets mixed up in a fraud scheme, but the cast surrounding him is pretty weak, and the plot is as predictable as an ice cube melting in a deep fryer. This is Washington’s second teaming with director Carl Franklin after Devil in a Blue Dress, and the second pairing isn’t nearly as good as the first (although it is much, much wetter).

This is one of those “Whodunit … not me!” movies where we know the person being framed is innocent, and we watch that framed person run around as a solo detective act trying to solve the crime before the ax falls. Because we know the framed person is innocent, it’s imperative that the denouement reveal something that blows the mind as far as villain identity goes, and Out of Time fails miserably on this front. The big surprise is liable to inspire a “Who gives a crap?” reaction more than a “Holy geez, this movie dented my skull!” It ends with a dull thud.

Washington’s character is pretty much a scumbag undeserving of a happy ending, yet David Collard’s script gives him one. Had the film chosen to deposit him in a ditch somewhere, the ultimate victim of his own stupid deeds, it would’ve had a little going for it in the originality department. As it goes, even the most casual of filmgoers will see the plot revelations coming a mile away.

This is Washington’s first film after his so-so directorial debut, Antwone Fisher, and he acquits himself nicely in a relatively worthless role. Had anybody else played his part, this puppy would’ve been your typical, unsatisfying, direct-to-video release. Washington has a proven ability to make bad material worth watching (John Q, Remember the Titans), and this one falls somewhere in the realm of his lesser works.

As Whitlock’s soon-to-be-ex-wife-turned-detective, Eva Mendez lacks the grit and toughness that should be required of such a role. Sanaa Lathan is OK as Whitlock’s beleaguered girlfriend, but the character requires a few too many leaps for Lathan to handle. As the requisite wisecracker, John Billingsley is annoying as Chae the medical examiner, his character’s only function being to dole out bad humor (we never actually see him practice his trade). In the “is he still working?” department, former television Superman Dean Cain is quite menacing as Lathan’s evil husband and has the distinction of being the cast member who sweats the least.

While the film fails on many levels, it is positively atrocious on none, so watching it won’t cause any major discomfort. It’s just a flat feature that has little impact while in the theater and no impact after exiting it. If the notion of Denzel Washington soaking through his shirt gets you all riled up, then by all means, indulge yourself. Don’t see Out of Time if you’re looking for a mystery with the ability to trick you because it’s bound to disappoint.