Fabulous Films in the UK has the 1998 movie Out of Sight coming onto Blu-Ray, and Steve Wells takes a closer look at it, and it seems it’s not much of a new release after all.
Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, it starred George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez and was a moderate hit at the box office, but deserved to be huge.
Clooney plays Jack Foley, a serial bank robber who, following a botched prison break, ends up in the boot of a car with U.S. Marshal Karen Sisko, played by Lopez. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, the chemistry between them is immediate and electric, but can she stop her heart getting in the way of doing the right thing and sending him back to jail? So begins a game of cat and mouse, both feeling the urge to see each other again and risk the possible consequences the other might have in store for them.
Out of Sight is a very classy film. The whole cast is incredible, the dialogue is sharp, oozing with cool, and both the comedy and dramatic moments work an absolute treat. Featuring supporting roles for the likes of Albert Brooks, Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames, Catherine Keener, Luiz Guzmo and Michael Keaton (reprising his role as Ray Nicolette, from Jackie Brown), it is a terrific way to spend two hours. The flashbacks might take a bit of getting used to, but at the end it all falls into place perfectly.
The film was originally released on Blu-Ray in the UK in 2011, courtesy of Universal Pictures, before Fabulous Films released a direct port of that disc on it’s own label five years later. I take no pleasure in saying that the latest release is, yet again, the same disc we have had here twice before.
The film was remastered in 4K and re-released in the US a few years ago, but in the UK we are still stuck with the same version as before. The only difference is a new cover, a mini poster and a price hike.
The picture quality still looks great, however, with a sharp image and vivid colours, but the slight vertical jitter that runs through the whole film is undeniably noticeable once you see it, particularly on captions and static shots. The sound, especially the score by David Holmes, is powerful and punchy, with plenty of surround sound activity in key scenes.
Extras on the disc include a few deleted and extended scenes, which were excised with good reason, a collection of vintage interviews with the cast and crew, and a commentary track by director Steven Soderbergh and script editor Scott Frank. It’s a great listen, with plenty of information about the production, and even with a 2-hour running time, it never feels padded.
Summing up, Out of Sight is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, which holds up on multiple viewings. This reissue of the reissue of the original release is still worth picking up, but if you’re not too picky about the mini poster and different cover, the cheaper previous releases might be a better option.
FILM – 10 PICTURE – 8 AUDIO – 8 EXTRAS – 7
Review by Steve Wells….
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