Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that although younger viewers might be drawn to this film by star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it features bloody, harrowing violence, lots of swearing ("f--k" and then some), and brief sexual imagery. A car accident is repeated from different angles throughout the film, and flashbacks showcase the aggression of hockey in short, handheld takes. But the goriest violence involves shootings (with handguns and shotguns) that result in bloody bodies. There are some brief glimpses of naked bottoms and other sexual scenes and characters drink (some to drunkenness), smoke cigarettes and pot, take prescription pills, and talk about meth production.
Families can talk about whether anyone in this movie can be considered a role model. Does Lewis provide a positive model for Chris? What about Chris' own father, who refuses to help him? Can what happens to Chris be considered a metaphor for how people change after high school? How does the movie compare his former happy life with his current limited and depressed existence?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Cynthia Fuchs
THE LOOKOUT begins with a scene we've all seen before: A popular high school athlete, Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is celebrating prom night with his perfect blond girlfriend. They're riding in a convertible, a couple of friends in the backseat, whooping and carousing. Suddenly, Chris' recklessness leads to violent tragedy.
Cut to four years later: Chris is now in perpetual rehab. Estranged from his unforgiving (and, not incidentally, wealthy) father (Bruce McGill) and living with fellow "gimp" Lewis (Jeff Daniels), who was blinded years ago in an accident, Chris feels angry, guilty, and resentful. He has to write down the basic details of his day just to get through it (the notes help him identify things like his dinner plate and the can opener). Lewis helps him think through the sense of sequence that he's lost: "Don't think of it as a list," he says. "Think of it as a story. You just gotta start at the end and work backwards."
Just as the start of The Lookout was an ending of sorts, what happens next -- the rest of the movie -- takes Chris back to confront the cocky "big man on campus" he used to be. His route leads him to erstwhile exotic dancer Luvlee (Isla Fisher) and a crew of aspiring bank robbers led by young thug Gary (Matthew Goode), who recruit Chris because he mops floors at what looks to be the smallest bank in Kansas. They give him what he thinks he's lost since the accident -- masculine community and sex with a girl -- as well as a break from his routine. Apparently lacking the capacity for self-reflection on top of everything else, Chris signs on.
As viewers are steps ahead of Chris by definition, the movie's approximation of his self-storytelling method reveals itself right away. Gary and Luvlee are untrustworthy schemers, affiliated with a very grim-looking shooter named Bone (Greg Dunham, channeling Lance Henriksen), and true-blue Lewis is not only nosy and protective, but also vulnerable and loyal. None of this would be surprising in the standard heist movie, and it's not here.
This means that Gordon-Levitt has a lot of work to do, convincing viewers that Chris is processing his ordinary experiences in an extraordinary way. For the most part, he's up to it. Chris' awkward gait and puzzled face make his former life look long-lost and his current life nearly unfathomable. Until the movie loses its own way (a bloody retribution resolution falls flat), this young actor makes Chris' erratic efforts to read himself and his world look engaged and engaging.
Fans might enjoy another movie about memory loss, the very clever Mememto, or other heist movies, like Out of Sight and Inside Man. You might also want to see Brick, a witty, high school-set flim noir that also stars Gordon-Levitt.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentChris comes on to his counselor ("I thnk about f--king you"); sex sounds heard from another room; a couple of brief naked-bottom shots (one man, one woman); Luvlee seduces Chris (she pulls up her nightgown and puts his hand on her); sexual slang ("did you get a hummer?", "getting blown," "bone"); conversation about Luvlee's work as a stripper. |
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ViolenceBrutal car accident (auto hits a combine full-speed) is repeated in flashback and is increasingly bloody and/or violent each time; hockey game flashbacks are abrupt, slamming, and fast-cut; Chris' father keeps guns at home; shootouts are rough, with bloody injuries. |
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LanguageSeveral uses of "f--k," as well as "ass," "s--t" (sometimes with "bull"), "damn," "prick," "hell," and "bitch." |
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Social BehaviorBank robbers are brutal and deceptive; Chris is confused and makes bad choices -- he eventually saves his friend's life, through violent means. Farm workers are generically referred to as "Juan and Ramone." |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoCigarette and marijuana smoking; drinking in a bar and at home; Gary and Chris' father both get visibly, obnoxiously drunk; Chris is on meds; Gary uses an asthma inhaler; Lewis describes his experience cooking meth (the fumes blinded him). |
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