Out of Time

"OK"

Out of Time Review


Approximately 106 times over the course of 106 playfully passionate minutes, Carl Franklin's Out of Time threatens to jump the rails of logic and careen off course. With a steady Denzel Washington at the helm, the film never does. But after a while, you start to realize there are only so many grains of salt we can swallow to help a sultry suspense picture like this go down.

Chief of Police Matt Lee Whitlock (Washington) monitors the comings and goings of Banyan Key, an intimate beach community located several miles south of Miami. His private life is plagued by failed relationships and love triangles. A pending separation from his wife Alex (Eva Mendes) doesn't stop Whitlock from sleeping with Anne (Sanaa Lathan), a married townie with an abusive husband (Dean Cain).

Whitlock's bedroom shenanigans provide the ingredients for Franklin's twisty stew. Cinematographer Theo van de Sande bathes the sets in Florida's naturally sweltering heat, while screenwriter David Collard spices up the already steamy material with a life-threatening illness, a hefty insurance policy, and over $400,000 in confiscated drug money. After a lengthy (with a capital "L") set-up, the rollercoaster ride kicks into gear.

The disappearance of two major characters places Whitlock in a delicate position with legal ramifications. Details must be omitted here if there's any hope of you enjoying this film. All you need to know is that Time can be funny when it needs to be, sexy when we want it to be, and suspenseful when we least expect it. Collard's script ties a noose around Whitlock's neck, and the knot gets tighter with each scene. In this aspect, Time resembles a paperback page-turner, the ones we read on vacation that have a twist at the end of each chapter.

But like those guilty pleasures, Time relies heavily on conveniences. Puzzle pieces fall into place when beneficial to Whitlock, and no one else. Outsiders who could confirm or deny Whitlock's association with the missing characters are either "out to lunch" or "gone for the day" when police look to question them. Rules don't bend for Whitlock, they twist into pretzels as the refreshing ocean breezes of Banyan Key carry logic out the window. One scene around a fax machine is particularly preposterous. It's all done in an effort to buy Whitlock more time so he can conduct his own investigation. Some of it is clever; most of it is contrived.

Whitlock turns out to be a meaty role for Washington, and he plays it off the cuff. Not quite a hero, he skirts around the obligations of his badge on a daily basis, and lies and cheats to the women in his life. Yet we root for him to succeed, which speaks more to Denzel's drawing power than to the strength of the script.

And in need of a nap.



Out of Time

Facts and Figures

Run time: 105 mins

In Theaters: Friday 3rd October 2003

Box Office Worldwide: $55.5M

Budget: $50M

Production compaines: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 2.5 / 5

IMDB: 6.5 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , , , Neil H. Moritz

Starring: as Matthias " Lee " Whitlock, as Alex Diaz Whitlock, as Ann Merai Harrison, as Chae, as Chris Harrison, as Cabot, as Deput Basle, as Tony Dalton, Ron Madoff as Detective (as Ronald J. Madoff)

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews