Out of Time

I must say though that Dean Cane who played Anne-Marie's husband Chris, did a stand out performance. He and Denzel played off of each other extremely well. I saw an interview where Denzel even commended Dean on his performance. Believe it our not, Denzel had never heard of him before. The scenes they have together are really intense and adds much needed depth to this movie. I wouldn't be surprised if Dean is in another movie starring Denzel. At the very least, I think we will start to see him in more good roles on the big screen.

I did enjoy this movie. It may have not been one of Denzel's best but that's OK.


Pesky libido gets cop into hot water   October 31, 2003
Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

OUT OF TIME illustrates a predicament familiar to most men, i.e. when good sense is subverted by the promise of genital happiness with a pretty woman.

Denzel Washington is Matt Whitlock, Sheriff of Banyon Key, FL. His wife Alexandra (Eva Mendes), a Miami homicide gumshoe, has moved out and is getting the divorce papers processed. In the meantime, the sheriff finds solace in the bed of Ann (Sanaa Lathan), the abused wife of jealous Chris (Dean Cain), a local morgue security guard. Paradise begins to unravel when Ann reveals that she has terminal cancer and six months to live. After an unsuccessful attempt to convert a million dollar life insurance policy into the cash needed to fund experimental cancer treatment in Switzerland, Ann makes Matt the beneficiary, and the latter "loans" her five-hundred grand in impounded drug money, evidence in a stalled criminal investigation, that's currently on ice in the sheriff's safe. The night after Ann takes possession of the swag, she and her husband are apparently murdered in their home, which is then torched. Alexandra is assigned to the case. Meanwhile, the cash has disappeared; Matt is identified by a non-reliable witness as the suspicious person skulking outside his paramour's home the night of the crime; and the local DEA chief has phoned to say that he's sending two of his heavies over to take possession of the drug money. Fancy dancing is in order if Matt is to stay out of Deep Bandini.

The plot becomes more incredible with a compressed time frame that demands that Matt extricate himself from his mess over two 8-hour work shifts. Alexandra doesn't even have the time to change out of a gloriously short and tight miniskirt and high heels, in which outfit she manages to kick down a locked door. (At that point, my wife leaned over to whisper, "Do you know what would happen if one really tried that?" Perhaps she has a secret life I don't know about?)

This isn't Washington's most memorable performance. But, since Denzel is one of Hollywood's most appealing actors, who cares? Matt spends the entire latter half of the film looking like a deer mesmerized by approaching highbeams while teetering on the edge of an abyss. Alexandra is constantly giving him that hard look familiar to guilty husbands everywhere that implies the question, "Is there something you want to tell me?" The Final Confrontation, which takes place in the familiar milieux of rain, darkness, and a creepy abandoned structure, does benefit from a satisfying plot twist.

OUT OF TIME is a better than average entertainment vehicle more cost effectively viewed as a DVD rental on the small screen.


An action-packed thriller lacking action and thrills   January 21, 2004
Blaine Huff (Elgin, SC United States)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

I don't know what is more bothersome--watching this type of forgettable garbage or learning that some folks give it five stars.

This "suspense" flick will keep you on the edge of your seat only if:

A. You have a very small seat,
B. You have a very large backside, or
C. Some visual impairment prevents you from noticing huge plot holes and over-emphasized hints.

As far as the acting goes, even on autopilot (and making an appearance for the sake of a paycheck,) Denzel's talent raises this contrived tripe somewhat out of the gutter. Aside from this, there are no performances that rise above the level of boring. This isn't a knock against the actors, the truth of it is that the characters in this film (i.e., Cold Ex-Wife, Abused Woman, Absolutely, Totally, Without Remorse Evil Man, and Fat, Funny Sidekick) have been so overused that original incarnations of them are nearly impossible.

The casting in this film is insulting...Denzel Washington and his mistress, the script tells us, were once high school sweethearts. Well, as their ages are separated by almost two decades, either Denzel's character (Matt Whitlock) spent quite a few years failing grades or his "sweetheart" was infant at about the time Whitlock was graduating. Oh, Whitlock is married in this film, though separated, and, if you can believe it(!), a woman even younger than his mistress was cast as his wife. Yes, it's a constant gripe of mine, but can the audience please see men and women of similar ages playing the roles of husband/wife, husband/mistress? Especially when the script tell us they're within a few years of one another!

Now, the screenplay. Wow. My first thought is that, when Denzel signed on, the writers decided there was no need for further rewrites. Any and all suspense and tension is lost when clues are shoved down the viewer's throats and this might have been prevented had care been taken. I don't want to give any particulars, but, if you're halfway paying attention, then there are probably half a dozen scenes in the film where the director could have been less conspicuous by having the actors stop speaking and pull out large neon signs baring the words "HERE IS A CLUE." For example, when a character, early in the film, goes into a long explanation and demonstration of how his cell phone is linked to GPS tracking system...well, unless you're braindead, you can bet this is going to be on the test.

As well, little in this film occurs because it is in the natural order of things; no, what happens here only does because the script demands it. You know that point in a horror film when the girl has a choice between getting in her car and driving to safety or going, by herself, into the dark house? The only reason she walks through the doorway is because the movie ends if she doesn't. That same necessity for stupidity appears to be behind the actions of all the characters in "Out of Time." In short, everyone is this film is stupid when the script demands it and brilliant when needed. As such, the characters never are believable because they fail to rise above the level of plot device. And that's sad, for to feel suspense the audience must be concerned with whom they're seeing...and that never happens here. Without revealing too much, a wonderful example of this is when characters A, B, and C con D out of large sum of money. Now, the wise thing for the scammers to do would be to leave town...after all, they do have a half-day head start and a nice bankroll...but that wisdom wouldn't happen here. No, instead, one of the baddies goes to a hotel and the other two hide out in an abandoned shack. Why do they do this? Why don't they take the half-million and charter a boat to the islands or flee north to Miami? If they do...movie over. Why does the group separate? Because, if our hero catches them all at once, then the film ends at hour one...having the members apart almost doubles the running time. Why is the money held by the weakest link in the villain chain (especially when we know that the cash was handed directly to main conspirators)?...the movie requires it. Why doesn't the protagonist, having "caught" a bad guy and retrieved the loot, not turn to the police (or, at least, have the police accompany him for "THE FINAL SHOWDOWN?"...the movie won't let him.

...and it goes on and on.

I don't require perfection from films, but don't insult me. If you want a good suspense flick where you care about the hero...where you twist and turn right along with him...then check Michael Douglas in "The Game" and leave this formulaic trash on the shelf of Blockbuster.


Out of Time   September 17, 2005
SHAKESPEAR (Appleton, WI USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

If you like Denzel Washington, I think this is one of his best movies yet. He is sexy, and so is his co-stars. The movie delivers great action, suspense and surprises at the end.


overlooked   August 2, 2004
Red (Pennsylvania)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

It starts out as the typical Denzel Washington playing a macho-hip-cool cop (also seen in Fallen and Man on Fire) and then thankfully gets very unpredictable when he is thrust into the middle of one of his cases. It has a very nice twist toward the end, and a surprisingly good performance by Dean Cain.