The Lookout

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to rack up the great performances as Chris Pratt, a head-injury victim working a night shift janitorial job at a bank. When some seedy types scope out his place of occupation, they decide to enlist his help in a heist. The film has a slight Memento feel to it, with its unreliable protagonist having trouble with memory loss. Levitt, as he did in Mysterious Skin and Brick, creates a great, conflicted character. Isla Fisher, the nut from Wedding Crashers, gets to take a successful serious turn as Luvlee, a romantic interest of questionable character. Jeff Daniels is superb as Lewis, Chris’ blind and all too honest roommate, while Matthew Goode is scary enough as Gary, the film’s main villain. This is the directing debut of Scott Frank, an established screenplay author responsible for such works as Out of Sight and Minority Report. I’m thinking he’ll get some more directing gigs in the future.