I have to say, in spite of having no knowledge on this films plot I have wanted to see it ever since it was released, mainly because it was filmed in my home town. Coming from a city in the middle of the prairies in Canada, this is about as close to Hollywood as we get. But other than hoping to recognize a few buildings I anticipate this film based on the praises I have heard for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels. Regardless, I look forward to being able to view this flick, how are the results?

The film opens with Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 10 Things I Hate About You) driving down a desolate road with several friends. While driving without headlights on the group plows into a combine in the middle of the road, leaving two of the three passengers dead. Along with the death of his friends Chris has to deal with a now developed case of short term amnesia. Several years go by and Chris is working as a night time janitor in a bank, with aspirations of better things. Much in the fashion of Memento Chris writes down things in order to remember them, but is still an able member of society. His best friend Lewis (Jeff Daniels, RV) is blind and hopes to help Chris overcome his brain damage. Meanwhile a mysterious man named Gary (Matthew Goode, Matchpoint) and his friends begin to get involved in Chris? life, Lewis is already suspicious. But things get really out of control when Gary suggests to Chris that he is the lookout, and is to call him when money arrives at the bank, backing up his statement with the phrase, ?Whoever has the money has the power.? The real excitement begins when Chris has to face the dilemma at hand and decides if he wants achieve his goals legit or by joining Gary and his gang.

I have to say that I was quite taken by this movie, which is easily one of the best of 2007. Over the years I?ve been able to expect good performances from Jeff Daniels, so his role wasn?t a surprise for me. The real treat here is with Joseph Gordon-Levitt?s performance, he sure has come a long way from 10 Things I Hate About You and TV?s Third Rock From The Sun. His role was most impressively played out, and along with some great performances from the co-stars, The Lookout had some fine acting.

But great performances mean nothing without a great story to go along with it, lucky for us this was never an issue in The Lookout. Apart from the extremely rare scene that seemed to drag on longer than it should have, I was completely engaged in this film from beginning to end. Even though there?s nothing that hasn?t been done before, expect a few surprises along the way. If you?re at all into crime films, this one is going to be a must see for you.

Video

Presented in 1080p 2.40:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG-4, Miramax (Disney) has done what we have come to expect from them and that?s provide a great looking transfer. The Lookout was filmed in my home city of Winnipeg and it was nice to recognized streets and buildings in the background. The film was shot on a modest 16 million dollar budget but you wouldn?t know that if you looked at the quality of this transfer. Color usage was extremely accurate and realistic rivaling the best of transfers from Disney. Detail levels were equally impressive with very few soft looking scenes which gave this transfer a 3D looking picture. One of my favorite looking shots comes at the end of the film which takes place on a snow covered road in the middle of the country. The detail and colors were second to none here, truly a specular looking scene.

Grain is present throughout the entire film but as mentioned before details are not blocked out and color remains vibrant. Like the film itself I was really surprised how good this picture looked. It goes without saying that fans will be more than pleased on how well this one turned out.

Audio

Included on the disc are a 5.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 PCM tracks, the latter being the best of the two. The Lookout is heavily dialogue driven and as such relies on the front channels for a good portion of the film. These scenes themselves sound crystal clear, but we are given a surprising amount of background effects via the rear channels. From the whirling wind in rural shots from the beeping cars in the background of urban shots, the track creates an impressive atmosphere.

This is all good but how about some explosive scenes that fire up all channels at once? Although lacking when compared to an action movie we are given a few scenes that do this. The opening crash sure got my attention, with an impact that sounded so loud and real. The bank heist at the end of the film offered a great sounding shootout, one that really livened up the track. Gun shots sounded loud with an appropriate amount of bass for those shotgun shells going off.

For a thriller The Lookout succeeded my expectations when it came to sound. The PCM stream is easily the better of the two tracks, one that will definitely please fans of this movie.

Special Features

The only disappointing aspect of the entire disc is the lack of special features. Sure all of them are worth checking out but it would have been nice to see some deleted scenes and an extended making of feature.

• Audio Commentary – Commentary with Director /Writer Scott Frank and Director of Photography Alar Kivilo.
• Sequencing The Lookout – Your basic making of future with cast and crew interviews which runs 20 minutes. At its too bad it wasn?t longer and more informative; I would have loved to hear more about the locations used for the film.
• Behind The Mind of Chris Pratt – A look on how actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt prepared for the role of Chris Pratt. I was extremely impressive by Levitt?s performance in this film; this feature gives some insight on the character as well as the actor. Unfortunately I found the feature a bit too short, at a little over 9 minutes I was hoping for something with more depth.

Final Thoughts

I was completely surprised by the quality of this disc, from the film itself to the fine transfer. If you have already seen this film then you can make a sure bet by buying it on Blu-ray, and if you haven?t then I suggest you give this one a rent. The only downfall of the disc lies within the lack of features, but that isn?t much of a detour ant for me, so use your own discretion.