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.

Comments

Zamarrud Theatre Hyderabad

More than two decades ago a 5 year old boy (yours truly) found himself in Abids which was certainly then the microcosm of Hyderabad. Abids in the 80s <Courtesy: OkaTeluguAbbayi > The occasion was a family outing to Zamarrud Cinema. And we are stepping out for not just any movie my friends, my parents decided that nothing less than the Raj Kapoor blockbuster Chori Chori was good enough for us. To be honest I wasn't exactly enthused about watching a black and white film of a bygone era even though the movie had all the credentials of a classic. But that was before I saw Zamarrud, the theatre where the movie was being played. Nested in the heart of Abids, Zamarrud was the perfect amalgamation of Hyderabad's old world charm and new fangled ways. Zamarrud was not just any theatre, it was one of the first air conditioned halls in Hyderabad, a premiere cinema hall which used to host the best of what the film industry had to offer and the place to go for Hyderabad...

The grandeur of Gandikota Fort

Where? About 400 kms from Hyderabad. Gandikota fort overlooking the gorge over Pennar river What is it? A picturesque fort on top of a gorge steeped in history and relevant for multiethnic communities. Plaque detailing the history of Gandikota fort What greeted us within the fort? We made our way into the fort through a majestic entrance which was constructed wide enough for the royal elephants to march in. The majestic entrance of Gandikota fort Gandikota's own version of Charminar and an ancient prison house were the next stops on the journey. Charminar - Gandikota fort version The ancient prison house - Gandikota fort Then, the magnificent Madhavaraya temple with its awe-inspiring gopuram and resplendently carved pavilions emerged. This temple is an excellent example of Vijayanagara school of architecture. The spectacular Madhavaraya temple within the Gandikota fort Vijayanagara school of architecture - Madhavaraya temple pavilions Next stop was to the Gandikota go...

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran

Backdrop: I diligently avoid docudramas based on real incidents as they only rehash what we already know without adding anything new. That's precisely the reason why I avoided watching Parmanu all these weeks but it's been a while since I saw a movie and the lack of decent fair at the cinemas coupled with upbeat critical reviews for Parmanu finally cajoled me into watching it. Boy! Was I thrilled to watch a competent movie which was slick and gripping till the very end. The verdict is out first but keep reading as to what makes this movie a recommended watch . (Credits: IndiaToday.in ) Plot: It's 1995 and India is facing an existential crisis amidst mounting defensive and strategic pressures from it's neighboring countries. I.A.S. officer, Ashwat Raina ( John Abraham ), believes that India's road to political parity lies in establishing a nuclear program. The recommendation is taken up but Ashwat Raina's plan is not followed to the ' T', resu...

Cover Up (1949) - Endearing mystery drama

In a nutshell A delightful whodunit set during the Christmas time with some compelling performances, brisk pacing and a happy ending. Plot Sam Donovan ( Dennis O'Keefe ), an insurance investigator sets off for a small town to delve into the suicide of one, Roger Philips, who by all accounts was an extremely unpleasant man. On the way there he runs into Anita Weatherby ( Barbara Britton ), daughter of a wealthy banker in Philips' town, Stu Weatherby ( Art Baker ). The two hit off instantly and Sam makes plans to visit the Weatherby family once he's done wrapping up the Philips case. Dennis O'Keefe and Barbara Britton <Credits: Cult Cinema Classics > Upon arrival Sam calls upon Sheriff Larry Best ( William Bendix ) to clarify the details of the case only to find all his inquiries being thwarted. Through the evasive replies, Sam learns that no weapon was recovered from the victim's side and the coroner who could have thrown some light into the circumstances o...

At Bertram's Hotel - Not one of Agatha Christie's finest

In a nutshell A plodding whodunit which takes its own sweet time to set things up but doesn't quite deliver the punch at the end with its reveal. Plot Miss Marple returns to a favorite childhood spot, Bertram's hotel, to experience the nostalgia of the bygone years. The hotel's guests include Miss Marple's gregarious friend Selena Hazy, absent minded Canon Pennyfather who's making his way to a conference in Lucerne via London, hypervigilant Colonel Luscombe accompanied by his precocious ward Elvira Blake and tabloid friendly socialite Lady Bess Sedgwick who always seems to have a knack of generating headlines. While Miss Marple does take great pleasure in the comforts of the place she also quickly comes to sense that there's something sinister going on behind all that external facade. While a motley group of characters is permeating Bertram's hotel, the city is being terrorized by the daring thefts of a criminal gang which has evaded the police by skillfull...

Life Etc Etc

Search This Blog