Out of Time (2003)

Plot Outline

Chief of Police, Matt Whitlock's (Denzel Washington) personal life is in doldrums. His marriage is on the rocks and he's secretly courting another man's wife, Ann (Sanaa Lathan). When Ann is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Matt decides to fund her treatment with money that was recovered from a drug bust. But before Ann can proceed forth with her treatment, she and her husband Chris (Dean Cain) are killed in a mysterious house fire. The case is assigned to Matt's estranged wife, homicide detective Alex (Eva Mendes) and to make matters worse (for Matt), the DEA comes calling for the drug money. If this isn't enough, Matt is the sole beneficiary on Ann's insurance policy which further implicates him in this crime. Will Matt escape from the fix he is in and identify who's behind everything? Or will Alex and the DEA catch up to the clandestine secrets he's hiding?

Denzel Washington navigating rough waters in Out of Time <Credits: Movieclips>

The Good

A movie titled 'Out of Time' has to get its pacing absolutely right if the viewers have to identify with the sense of desperation that the protagonist experiences as he circumvents one curveball after another. The pacing of this movie is spot-on. Its starts gradually while painting all the characters who permeate the small town of Banyan Key in Florida and then rapidly picks up tempo once the investigation starts uncovering Matt's involvement with Anna.
Can Denzel Washington be part of a movie and not be good? Denzel's Matt is flawed but also has certain limits that he will not cross. This paradox allows us to sympathize with Matt's struggle as he toils to extricate himself from the mess that he had a hand in creating
Every scene which involves Matt evading the authorities by the skin of his teeth

Eva Mendes as Alex <Credits: kinobscura>

The Mediocre

I am not giving away any spoilers but anyone who has seen these sort of thrillers can guess what the twist is from a mile away. If you are looking for a layered mystery with watertight logic and oodles of suspense then this one is not for you

Dean Cain as Chris <Credits: Movieclips>

The Conclusion

Anytime you end up watching something that can keep you engrossed is a plus. Not to mention the runtime of 100 minutes which is ideal for finishing the movie at one go without any interruptions. Now, Wikipedia mentions that Out of Time was remade as Zeher. I haven't watched the Emraan Hashmi flick so cannot comment on how well the remake lived up to the original. If you end up catching this one and have also watched Zeher, do leave a comment on whether there is any connection between the two.

Rated: Time Pass (Strictly for Adults)

Until Next Time,

Your Movie Lover.

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